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US, Iraqi forces seal entrances to shrine
Having sealed off all entrances to the Imam Ali mausoleum in the heart of Najaf, residents were being urged to leave the old city.
US troops and Iraqi security forces today sealed off all main entrances leading to the Imam Ali mausoleum in the heart of the central Iraqi city of Najaf, witnesses and an AFP correspondent said.
At least three Bradley fighting vehicles were seen at the southern entrance to the shrine, one of the most revered sites for Shiites Muslims worldwide.
Residents were being urged on loudspeakers to leave the old city.
"Leave the city. Help coalition forces and do not fire at them," the announcement instructed in Arabic. "We are here to liberate the city."
The other main entrances leading to the shrine could not be approached amid fierce fighting, but residents said they saw a large contingent of US forces closing in on the area from early Thursday morning.
"At about 7:00 am (0930 IST), I saw a big force of Americans heading in the direction of the old city," said Ali Khalil, 23, a resident of the Al-Ansar neighbourhood near the southern entrance.
Women clutching the hands of fearful children or holding them against their bosoms were seen rushing out from narrow, dusty alleyways.
A statement from the Marines here yesterday said they were preparing for "major assaults on Najaf.
