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Troops push to Najaf

Apr-13-2004 » Filed Under: Iraq News

The following article discusses the mission of the U.S. force destined for Najaf, no registration required.

[Link to Full Article]
By Denis D. Gray
Associated Press

NAJAF, Iraq — A 2,500-strong U.S. force, backed by tanks and artillery, pushed to the outskirts of the Shiite holy city of Najaf on Tuesday for a showdown with a radical cleric. Near Fallujah, a U.S. military helicopter crashed, and an insurgent said he shot it down with a rocket-propelled grenade. [...]

On the way to Najaf, the U.S. force’s 80-vehicle convoy was ambushed Monday night by gunmen firing small arms and setting of roadside bombs north of the city. One soldier was killed and an American civilian contractor was wounded, officers in the convoy said.

The top U.S. commander in Iraq, Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, said their mission was to “capture or kill” radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.

Units set up a cordon on approaches to the city, barring militiamen from leaving.

Iraqi leaders launched hurried negotiations aimed at averting a U.S. assault on the city, site of the holiest Shiite site, the Imam Ali Shrine.


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