Ayaat offices attacked; Hawzah demands probe on shrine harm; protest in Karbala

By: Ismail Zabeeh

HOLY CITIES OF NAJAF AND KARBALA, Iraq: Unknown gunmen attacked offices of two Ayaat in the center of holy city of Najaf, reports said late Sunday, and separately Hawzah Ilmiyah Najaf said occupation forces and loyals to Moqtada As-Sadr were responsible for blood shed in the holy cities, and Karbala witnessed grand anti-US demo.

A source close to the office of Ayatullah Sayyid Ali As-Sistani said fire was sprayed for about 15 minutes on the office buildings of Ayatullah As-Sistani and Ayatullah Bashir An-Najafi causing damage. No human casualties were reported.

In a statement, the Hawzah said if militiamen of As-Sadr had not entered these holy cities, US forces would not have penetrated these. The statement urged the need of guaranteeing peace, and demanded from both armed sides to leave the holy cities. It called for immediate probe to know the responsible for causing harm to the dome of the holy shrine of Al-Imam Ali bin Abi Talib (peace be on them) with bullets so that those accountable get fair return.

In Karbala, thousands staged a demonstration demanding US withdrawal from the holy cities following bloody clashes. Religious scholars, tribal leaders, political figures attended the protest. During the protest, 15 American tanks entered the city and neared to the two holy shrines of Al-Imam Al-Hussein and his brother Hazrat Al-Abbas (peace be on them) but withdrew later.

Meanwhile, Italy urged Washington to show restraint and work out a plan for the occupation forces to leave the country.

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Imam Ali (p) shrine suffers harm; Ayat Sistani’s life in danger

HOLY CITY OF NAJAF/ KUWAIT CITY: The golden dome of the most sacred sites - the holy Shrine of Imam Ali bin Abi Talib (peace be on him) - was slightly damaged by four gunshots in fighting Friday between US soldiers and Muqtada As-Sadr’s militiamen, and the chief US military spokesman in Iraq said the militiamen were using religious sites “much like human shields.”

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