Police attacked in Najaf

BAGHDAD -- Shi'ite gunmen loyal to radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr ransacked an Iraqi police station yesterday in the holy city of Najaf, threatening a truce that had held for nearly a week. US troops refused to intervene in the fighting, in which six Iraqis died.

American soldiers clashed yesterday with Sadr militants in Baghdad's Sadr City. At least one militant was shot and killed by a US tank as he prepared to fire a rocket-propelled grenade at the Americans.

Gunfire and explosions were heard late yesterday in central Baghdad, and red tracers were seen soaring into the night sky. The US command had no comment, but residents said a US Army Humvee was attacked by a rocket-propelled grenade.

Elsewhere, Iraq's new prime minister, Iyad Allawi, blamed foreign fighters for recent attacks on Iraqi infrastructure, including an oil pipeline blast that cut nationwide electricity output by 10 percent. The extent of foreign involvement in attacks has been disputed in the past, and Allawi offered no evidence to back up his claim.

In Najaf, US troops refused to intervene because the reason for the clashes was unclear and because the fighting was too close to Shi'ite shrines, said Major General Martin Dempsey, commander of the First Armored Division.

Dempsey told CNN that Iraqi police, who deserted when Sadr's rebellion began in April, fought well yesterday despite losing control of a station. Dempsey said it was too early to tell whether the truce, mediated last week by Shi'ite clerics and politicians to end nearly eight weeks of fighting, had collapsed.

But the US-appointed governor of Najaf Province, Adnan al-Zurufi, warned that if the violence continued "there won't be a truce." He gave the militia 24 hours to clear off the streets.

Sadr's spokeman, Qais al-Khazali, warned the governor against "following the Americans" or sending forces near the holy shrines "because this could lead to fighting."

The trouble started Wednesday night when police tried to arrest suspected thieves at the bus station near police headquarters, witnesses said. Masked attackers, including some of Sadr's militia, responded with machine-gun fire and rocket-propelled grenades.

One gunman was killed when police returned fire, Khazali said. The dead man's relatives, said by authorities to be from Sadr's Mahdi Army, attacked the headquarters again yesterday in revenge, he said.

Fighting later moved to the second station, which was overrun after police ran out of ammunition.

"We are trying to convince them to stop shooting," Khazali said. "We are still committed to the truce . . . I swear the Mahdi Army did not open fire. I hope this is just a temporary violation of the truce."

Hospital officials said six Iraqis were killed and 29 wounded, including eight children. Two of the dead were Mahdi fighters, Khazali said.

After police fled the station, witnesses said hundreds of civilians joined Mahdi fighters in looting it.

American forces are trying to lower their profile in Iraq and hand over more responsibility.

One senior US military official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said coalition forces would not leave the streets immediately after June 30, but would decrease their presence as Iraqi security troops gradually take control.

Allawi, the new prime minister, has made restoration of security his top priority. His administration must use the next seven months to restore security to a level where national elections can be held by Jan. 31.

Allawi appealed to the public to be vigilant against attacks on oil pipelines and power grids. He charged that foreign fighters have targeted the country's infrastructure to shake public confidence.

Allawi also tried to assure the Kurdish minority he would honor the interim constitution, which grants Kurds major concessions, including a provision interpreted as a virtual veto over a permanent constitution to be drafted next year. Allawi's spokesman, Gorgues Hermez Sada, said the interim government intended to abide by the charter while Iraq prepares for elections.