Tensions rise after GI's fight Shiites
In Thursday night�s clash � a rare event in Iraq�s Shiite Muslim areas � the Americans said their troops were lured into an ambush, while the Shiites said a firefight broke out when U.S. forces closed in on a radical cleric�s headquarters.

The exchange also left at least seven Iraqis and two American soldiers wounded, military and hospital officials said.

The bloodshed came just 12 hours after a mysterious car bombing killed 10 people at a nearby police station in Sadr City, where the cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has taken a stand against the U.S. military occupation and deployed his own armed force.

Security was tight during Friday prayers, with residents loyal to al-Sadr blocking streets leading to the main mosque and security guards armed with rifles and pistols stationed on rooftops and around the 10,000 faithful who attended the sermon and prayers.
�International Herald Tribune 10.11.03

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