U.S. troops kill 13 al-Sadr loyalists

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- American soldiers have killed 13 Iraqi militia loyal to renegade Shiite Muslim cleric Muqtada al-Sadr and have detained 14 others in overnight fighting near Najaf, U.S. military officials said Tuesday.

Late Monday, members of al-Sadr's Mehdi Army attempted to ambush a U.S. convoy with small arms fire. No American forces were injured in the incident.

The U.S. military began a major offensive Sunday to retake control of parts of the city, reclaiming the governor's palace from al-Sadr's control.

Al-Sadr, who is wanted in connection with the killing of a rival cleric last year, launched an uprising against U.S. troops in April. Since then, coalition forces have cracked down on the cleric's strongholds while trying to avoid religious sites.

http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/05/11/iraq.main/index.html

Now, what does that remind me of?

Sid