NYT: U.S. and Iraqi Troops Clash With Cleric’s Militia

Abdul Razzaq al-Nedawi, the head of Mr. Sadr’s office in Diwaniya, said residents were surprised on Sunday when American troops began raiding homes in three residential neighborhoods in the middle of the night.

“There was an agreement with the Iraqi government that U.S. forces would not enter residential areas in this city,” he said. “This agreement was made through a channel linked to the office of the prime minister.”

Up to 10 teams of militiamen with rocket-propelled grenade launchers attacked the Iraqi and American troops, the military said. Over all, 30 militiamen were killed, according to the American military.

But Mr. Nedawi denied that any Mahdi Army fighters were killed. Only three were wounded, he said, one of them seriously. Hameed al-Shawali, an official from the Diwaniya health ministry, said the city’s hospital treated six wounded and received no bodies.

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