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Dawn broke in Iraq's holy city of Najaf with gunmen still in control of streets around the great shrine after 16 days of fighting with US-led forces.
Fighters loyal to Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr were patrolling the narrow alleys leading to the mosque a day after police claimed to have taken control.
Mr Sadr has offered to hand over the shrine - sacred to Muslims worldwide - only to more senior Shia clergy.
Friday night passed quietly, the calm broken only by the roar of US jets.
Mr Sadr's Mehdi Army (MA) militia had appeared poised to hand over control of the Imam Ali shrine on Friday
BBC Read More
Fighters loyal to Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr were patrolling the narrow alleys leading to the mosque a day after police claimed to have taken control.
Mr Sadr has offered to hand over the shrine - sacred to Muslims worldwide - only to more senior Shia clergy.
Friday night passed quietly, the calm broken only by the roar of US jets.
Mr Sadr's Mehdi Army (MA) militia had appeared poised to hand over control of the Imam Ali shrine on Friday
BBC Read More
