The two largest cities in Iraq were virtual ghost towns yesterday as millions of people huddled in their homes waiting to see whether their Government’s greatest gamble — an all-out war with rogue Shia militias — would bring stability or plunge the entire country into violence.

Nouri al-Maliki, the Shia Prime Minister who has been accused of kowtowing to the powerful militias, gave armed groups in Basra 72 hours to lay down their arms or be branded outlaws. The sound of mortars, rockets and gunfire echoed across areas where almost 30,000 Government soldiers and police were battling to oust armed groups, mainly members of al-Mahdi Army, and impose order after years of gang rule.

Fighting was also under way in Sadr City, the Mahdi Army bastion in northeast Baghdad, which has been surrounded by US and Iraqi forces in an effort to contain the threat of a general uprising by the militia. Al-Mahdi Army had been observing a ceasefire since last September, and there were fears that the government onslaught could lead to a major and long-lasting phase of violence.

There were further reports of clashes between al-Mahdi Army fighters and Sunni Awakening groups in eastern Baghdad, raising the spectre of renewed sectarian warfare between Shia death squads and former Sunni insurgents now working with the US military.

Iraq timeline: five years of conflict

From accusations that the weapons of mass destruction dossier had been sexed-up to withdrawal of British troops from Basra

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The decision by the Iraqi Government to take on Shia militias, some of them backed by Iran, and not to rely on coalition forces was described as “very significant” by a senior British military official. Lieutenant-Colonel Mike Shearer said: “They have removed their own stabilisers,” adding that the Government was not specifically targeting al-Mahdi Army, whose political wing was once a key supporter of Mr al-Maliki’s Government, but was going after all gunmen operating outside the official security forces.

But in Sadr City many accused the Prime Minister of trying to destroy the powerful Sadrist movement before provincial elections planned for October, and said that he was working in league with the Sadrists’ Shia rival, the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council, and its Badr Brigades militia.

Abu Moqtada al-Mussawi, 39, a Mahdi Army leader, said: “We have to fight to the death now, because this is the last chance we have. The Badr Brigades want to control the country by themselves and push us out of the political operation. We worked hard to remove Saddam from Iraq and we will never let them bring another one.” Others adopted a more moderate tone, noting that the Mahdi Army leader Hojatoleslam Moqtada al-Sadr had so far called only for civil disobedience rather than a full-scale armed rebellion akin to his popular uprising against US forces in 2004.

But in Basra, the centre of Iraq’s oil trade, many residents welcomed the move against the militias after years of extortion and murder. Abu Samir, whose son was killed in January 2007 for working for the British as an interpreter, said: “This is God’s revenge. When they killed my son they said he was a spy and a traitor, but when they are killing and stealing and smuggling the oil and the drugs they are not criminals!”

“Every street has injured people and we can’t move them,” said Sheikh Mohammed Azzedawi, a resident. Officials said that more than 60 people had been killed and hundreds wounded in fighting scattered across southern Iraq. A health official said that more than 40 had died and 200 been wounded in Basra alone.

Major-General Kevin Bergner, a senior US military spokesman, said that the past few days had been “difficult and challenging”, but he praised the Iraqi Government for its efforts to impose order on Basra, which British Forces left six months ago.

Harith al-Ithari, head of the Sadr office in Basra, said that negotiations were under way to end the fighting.

A militia who's who

Badr Brigade

Leader Hadi al-Amiri
History Created and funded by Iran during the Iran-Iraq War, initially made up of Iraqi Shia defectors whose goal was to overthrow Saddam Hussein. Acts as the armed wing of the largest Shia party
Stronghold Karbala
Size About 20,000

Al-Mahdi Army

Founder and leader Hojatoleslam Moqtada al-Sadr
History Founded in 2003 with the goal of preparing for the arrival of Shia Islam’s messianic 12th imam. Fired by anti-US sermons, has become an important political and military player with strong support among the Shia poor
Stronghold Sadr City
Size About 60,000

Fadilah Militia

Leader Ayatollah Mohammed Yaqubi
History Armed wing of the Fadilah party, whose politicians include the Governor of Basra. Used to be part of al-Sadr movement, but now locked in a power struggle with al-Mahdi Army. Closely tied to Iran
Stronghold Basra
Size About 8,000

Source: Times research

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