BAGHDAD, Oct 10 (KUNA) -- At a time the United States condemned the assassination of member of the Sadrist bloc MP Saleh Al-Aqeeli, eyewitnesses said that armed clashes erupted late on Thursday in Sadr City between gunmen and security forces in what was believed to be retaliation for the assassination of Al-Aqeeli.
The U.S. conviction was uttered by its embassy in Baghdad and the multinational force in Iraq, which said in a statement they "strongly condemn the assassination of a member of the Iraqi parliament Dr. Saleh Al-Aqeeli".
The statement described the assassination as a "heinous crime" which was not aimed at Dr. Al-Aqeeli alone, but was against the democratic institutions of Iraq.
The embassy called on all parties to resolve their differences through dialogue and negotiations and through national institutions.
The witnesses said that violent armed clashes erupted earlier in the day in Sadr city between gunmen believed to be from the Mahdi Army and US-Iraqi joint forces stationed in the city on the background of the assassination of Al-Aqeeli.
The witnesses told KUNA over the phone the clashes erupted in Al-Falah street in the city's downtown, one of the most important streets in Sadr City, where joint troops are stationed in several points.
Witnesses said they heard explosions and exchanging of small fire arms but the sound of clashes subsided later. (end) aha.tg KUNA 100907 Oct 08NNNN