The Shia movement loyal to rebel cleric Moqtada al-Sadr voiced optimism on Friday over the implementation of a truce with the government, to end deadly clashes in the Baghdad Shia district of Sadr City.
“A delegation of five members from the al-Sadr movement arrived in Sadr City with the guidance of Moqtada al-Sadr to follow up the implementation of the agreement,” al-Sadr spokesman Salah Al-Obeidi told AFP in the Najaf. “There is good co-operation between the Iraqi forces and the al-Sadr movement,” he added.
Obeidi said that he hoped US forces, which have taken the brunt of the fighting with the militiamen, would now pull back from the district. There was no immediate comment from the US military. The truce deal provides for the deployment of Iraqi security forces in Sadr City but there were no immediate signs of troops moving in. |