Najaf Shrine Conflict

Militants loyal to Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr remained in control of a revered shrine at the centre of the crisis in Najaf Saturday, unable to resolve a dispute over the proposed handover of the holy site.

Al-Sadr's Mahdi Army had appeared poised to vacate the Imam Ali shrine on Friday after agreeing to give up its keys.

But by Saturday morning, aides to both al-Sadr and Iraq's top Shia leader, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Husseini al-Sistan were still negotiating the details of a handover.


A spokesperson for al-Sadr, Sheikh Ahmed al Shabani, said a transfer would not be completed until an inventory is taken of the shrine's contents.

Another spokesperson, Sheik Ali Smeism, said the militants wanted a delegation from al-Sistani's office to inspect the shrine and make sure its treasures were intact.

The shrine has been the focal point of a 16-day standoff between the Mahdi Army militia that supports al-Sadr, and U.S. and Iraqi forces that surround the southern Iraqi city.

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