Iraqi troops clash with militia

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Source: CCTV.com | 01-19-2008 09:53

Nearly fifty people are dead in two of Iraq's major southern cities, after members of a shadowy cult attacked police and fellow Shiite worshippers.

About 36 people have been killed in clashes in Basra, Iraq's second largest city, after cultists opened fire on a police patrol.

About 36 people have been killed in clashes in Basra, Iraq's second largest city, after cultists opened fire on a police patrol. Officers torched a mosque belonging to the cult after militants fired at them from inside the mosque. The leader of the group in Basra was among those who died and 21 other members have been detained.

The violence also spread to Nasiriyah, about 300 kilometers southeast of Baghdad, where police say at least ten people have died.

Editor:Liu Fang