Iraq cult leader among Najaf dead

30/01/2007| IslamWeb

An Iraqi cult leader, who claimed to be the Mahdi, is among hundreds of militia fighters killed in a battle with US and Iraqi forces near Najaf, Iraqi government officials have said.

Women and children who had joined the force of up to 700 fighters may be among the casualties, Shirwan al-Waeli, national security minister, said.

Ali al-Dabbagh, a government spokesman, added: "The person who led this group ... is sure to have been killed. He was definitely killed by security forces."

Between 200 and 300 armed men died after US tanks, helicopters and jets backed Iraqi forces in a 24-hour fight.

Shirwan al-Waeli, Iraq's security minister, said the group's leader "claimed to be the Mahdi".

He said the man, who is thought to have been a 40-year-old Iraqi citizen from the nearby Shia city of Diwaniya, had used the name Mahdi bin Ali bin Ali bin Abi Taleb, claiming descent from the Prophet Mohammad .

The group had gathered in orchards near the city and had been planning to attack the main Shia cleric leadership on Monday, an official from Najaf province said.

Some of the fighters wore headbands describing themselves as the Jund al-Samaa, or "Soldiers of Heaven", Iraqi officials said.

Waeli said the death toll among Iraqi forces was around 10 soldiers and police. Najaf's police chief was also wounded, he said.

Two US soldiers were killed when their attack helicopter came down during the fighting, military sources said.

Iraqi officials and witnesses said it appeared to have been shot down.

PHOTO CAPTION

A US Blackhawk helicopter flies over the skies of Baghdad at sunset. (AFP)

Al-Jazeera (summarized)