Najaf

Pope, top Iraq Shiite cleric deliver message of coexistence

By Nicole Winfield, Qassim Abdul-Zahra, Associated Press

Assassination of Al-Sadr Aide Threatens Cease-fire

A relative and senior aide of radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr was killed Friday in the holy city of Najaf. The assassination threatens to raise tensions amid a violent standoff between al-Sadr's Mahdi Army and the U.S.-backed Iraqi government.

By PBS News Hour

Al-Sadr Loyalists Resign from Iraqi Cabinet

Six ministers tied to Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr left the Iraqi Cabinet Monday, protesting Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's refusal to set a timetable for U.S. withdrawal from Iraq. Two regional experts discuss the resignations and the impact on Iraqi politics.

Thousands of Shiites Protest U.S. Occupation in Iraq

On the fourth anniversary of the fall of Baghdad, thousands of Shiite Muslims called to action by Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr marched peacefully in the streets of Kufa and Najaf demanding an end to U.S. military presence in Iraq.

At Least 200 Militants Killed in Battle near Najaf

U.S.-backed Iraqi troops killed more than 200 insurgents from a religious cult in a weekend battle near the Shiite holy city of Najaf, Iraqi officials said Monday. A Los Angeles Times reporter in Baghdad discusses the fighting and its implications.

Suicide Bomber Attacks Shiite Shrine in Iraq

By PBS News Hour

A suicide attacker detonated his explosives outside a Shiite shrine in Najaf, Iraq, Thursday, killing at least 35 people and injuring at least 122, the Iraqi army said.

Dozens Detained in Connection to Car Bombings

By PBS News Hour

Iraqi authorities detained 50 suspects Monday in connection with dual car bombings that killed at least 66 people in the mainly Shia cities of Najaf and Karbala on Sunday.

Iraq’s Top Cleric Strikes Deal to End Fighting in Najaf

Iraq's top cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, and rebel cleric Muqtada al-Sadr met in Najaf Thursday, forging an agreement aimed at ending fighting that has engulfed the city for the past three weeks.

Battles Rage Between U.S. Forces, Shiite Militia in Najaf

Fighting between U.S. Marines and loyalists to rebel Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr escalated in Najaf Monday as the U.S. military stepped up pressure on the militiamen to hand over control of the Imam Ali Shrine to religious authorities.

Militants Remove Weapons From Shrine in Najaf

Militants supporting radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr removed their weapons from the sacred Imam Ali Shrine in central Najaf Friday, bringing an end to a two-week standoff in the holy city.