American helicopters fly over the Sadrist offices in eastern Baghdad's Sadr City district, locals say, as Baghdad seems to slip further into the grip of fighting between militiamen, most associated with the Mahdi Army nominally loyal to the Sadrist Current of the Shi'a cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, and Iraqi and American forces.
Mortars are falling "all over Baghdad," residents say, and smoke from burning tires hangs in the air. A fuel shortage has now taken hold in the capital, locals report, and residents have begun to line up in the streets for basic fuels. Most of the schools in Baghdad were closed Thursday. Some remained open to conduct exams, but even these were forced to close because of the sounds of explosions, locals tell Slogger.
Around the city, eyewitnesses and security sources told IraqSlogger of a capital rocked by the fighting on Wednesday and Thursday which shows no signs of abating.
Sha'b
Clashes erupted again on Thursday in the Sha'b area, including Thursday afternoon in the Sabah al-Khayat square of the northeastern district. Three cars carrying at least five Mahdi Army gunmen armed with rifles, rocket-propelled grenades and PKC launchers passed through the square in front of an Iraqi forces checkpoint, security sources said. The militiamen fired into the air as they approached. Iraqi forces returned fire and a clash ensued. Three militiamen and one policeman were killed in the firefight, along with five militiamen and one policeman injured.
At 1:00 am in Sha'b on Wednesday night, more than 70 Mahdi Army fighters attacked a police station. Two policemen were killed along with seven Mahdi Army members, and eight militiamen were injured in the fighting. Locals also report that a sound bomb had landed in Sha'b's main market Wednesday, forcing people to close their shops. Some suspect that Mahdi Army elements may have been involved in the attack as a way to force Iraqis to observe the "civil disobedience" called for by the Sadrist leadership.
On Thursday evening, a Sahwa checkpoint was attacked in Sha'b, locals say. Two cars filled with armed men approached from different directions firing Kalashnikov rifles at the installation, then a gunman in one of the vehicles fired an RPG rocket. Sahwa forces returned fire and forced the attackers to run.
However, Iraqi forces and Sahwa troops have taken defensive measures in Sha'b, locals say. The irregular Sahwa forces have been repeatedly attacked since they were deployed in the Mahdi Army stronghold, in one of the rare instances in which the Sahwa have been assigned security responsibilities in a Shi'a area of the capital.
In the last two days, as Sahwa checkpoints have drawn attacks from Mahdi Army militiamen, locals say that several of the installations have been merged together to make them more defensible. Iraqi authorities also brought reinforcements from other Sahwa councils into Sha'b on Thursday. Locals say that Mahdi Army militiamen have targeted the residences of some Sahwa members in the area.
Hay 'Ur
Sporadic attacks also continued on Thursday in the Hay 'Ur area, near Sha'b in northeastern Baghdad, including militiamen launching mortars at the main police station in the area and checkpoints on the streets.
In al-Shiroufi Square, also near 'Ur, Iraqi forces and a Sahwa checkpoint also came under attack on Thursday. Iraqi forces the Americans for backup, and US forces sent ground troops and American helicopters bombed targets in the area, security sources said.
Two dead bodies were found in Hay 'Ur today, locals say, adding that residents identified them as belonging to members of the Mahdi Army.
Talbiya, Za'faraniya, 'Ubaydi
Eyewitnesses also said that clashes between gunmen and Iraqi troops erupted in Square 83 near the Talbiya district in eastern Baghdad. Dead bodies were seen in the streets following the fighting, locals said, and several mortars fell on the same place after the fighting ended.
On Wednesday, Mahdi Army fighters in four vehicles attacked the police station in the al-Za'faraniya area of southeastern Baghdad. More than 20 masked militiamen, driving two pickup trucks and two small cars attacked the center. At least one officer was killed in the fighting and four policemen injured including one bearing the rank of lieutenant.
At 3:00 am clashes erupted in the 'Ubaydi area of south eastern Baghdad, also between Mahdi Army fighters and Iraqi police. Three militiamen were killed in the early morning firefight, security sources said. Around an hour after these clashes, militia forces including family members of the men killed regrouped to attack the police again. Another Mahdi Army figher perished in that second round of fighting.
Also in 'Ubaydi, Mahdi Army elements clashed with US forces Americans after a US troop entered the area. According to eyewitnesses, one American armored vehicle was burned, and one American soldier appeared to be killed, and one injured. Six members of the MA were killed and five injured in the fighting. After the Americans withdrew, people of the area celebrated on the burned American vehicle, eyewitnesses tell IraqSlogger.
Southwestern Baghdad, Kadhimiya
Eyewitnesses in the southwestern areas of Risala and Muwasalat report that even in these places, where the Mahdi Army is not in control of the area, continued on Thursday to move around the area in their automobiles and fire into the air defiantly.
Meanwhile, in nearby Bayya', the corpse of a member of the Badr organization, widely recognized as the paramilitary wing of the Supreme Iraqi Islamic Council was found in the street on Thursday, locals say.
Heavy fighting also erupted in the al-Muhit Street that runs around the perimeter of Kadhimiya. As four American Humvees passed in the street, members of the Mahdi Army attacked them, according to local sources. The clashes continued for 15 minutes before the militiamen fled, leaving behind seven of their dead. Four injured militiamen were arrested by the US forces. Eyewitnesses said they saw one US soldier injured in the attack.
City center
On Wednesday a mortar fell on the Shi'a shrine of Sayyid Idris, where the Sadrists also maintain an office. The Sadr offices announced that they accused US forces of the attack. US forces are not known for mortar attacks, locals report. One Slogger source said "They use their jets and helicopters, not mortars," referring to American bombing operations.
Mortars also fell on Baghdad today in the Green Zone, and nearby such as Allawi and Karrada. Locals say mortar fire originated from 'Ubaidi, Kamaliya, Amin, Mashtal and Baghdad Al-Jadida. One Green Zone worker estimated 50 mortars per day falling on the area.
Finally, eyewitnesses say that the Medicine City, in central Baghdad east of the Tigris, is "filled" with members of the Iraqi Army, perhaps preparing for major security operations.
Baghdad's Sa'adoun Street was closed Wednesday, locals say, after unknown gunmen shot at shops along the commercial strip.
Members of IraqSlogger's network of Iraqi staff contributed to this report but choose to remain anonymous for security reasons.
