U.S. forces in Iraq are warning militiamen loyal to radical Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr to leave the Shi'ite holy city of Najaf or be killed, as fighting continues for a sixth day.
U.S. patrols used loudspeakers to urge civilians to evacuate Najaf and to issue the warning to the militiamen.
U.S. helicopter gunships flew over the city's ancient cemetery which militiamen have used to launch attacks.
In Baghdad, the cleric's loyalists ignored a curfew in the Sadr City neighborhood and clashed sporadically with U.S. and Iraqi government forces.
And a roadside bomb exploded as a U.S. military convoy passed in a central part of Baghdad, wounding two soldiers.
Information for this report is provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.