Al-Sadr calls upon his followers to stop fighting in Sadr City

Baghdad  - The radical Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr on Tuesday called upon his followers to abide by an agreement, signed between Sadrist movement and the United Iraqi Alliance, to stop fighting in Baghdad's Sadr City.

Al-Sadr urged his Shiite followers to implement the agreement, which encapsulates 16 articles and should last for only four days, according to a statement written in his handwriting.

Khalid Attiya, an official in the United Iraqi Alliance, told the media on Tuesday that the governmental-Sadrist agreement achieved peace on both sides and settled tensions in Sadr City, in eastern Baghdad.

The Sadrist movement stated in the agreement that heavy weapons would not be held and bombs would be removed from streets around Sadr City.

Sadr City has witnessed heavy clashes between the Mahdi Army, loyal to al-Sadr, and the Iraqi government since March 25.

The fighting has resulted in the deaths of some 1,000 people and the wounding of 5,000, mostly civilians.

On Saturday, the Iraqi government and the Sadrists agreed to halt violence in the Shiite enclave. (dpa)

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