BAGHDAD: The Shiite cleric Moktada al-Sadr said Sunday that he was pulling his fighters off the streets of Iraq and called on the government to stop raids against his followers and to free those it had arrested.

"Because of religious responsibility and to stop Iraqi blood being shed," Sadr said in a nine-point statement given to journalists in the holy Shiite city of Najaf, "we call for an end to armed appearances in Basra and all other provinces."

The message was broadcast by loudspeakers on mosques. Followers handed out candies in the Mahdi army militia stronghold of Sadr City here. Sadr's offices in several southern cities also said they would comply with the order.

Sadr's call was quickly welcomed by the government. In a telephone interview broadcast on state television, a spokesman, Ali al-Dabbagh, called it "positive and responsible." But he also warned that the security forces would continue to target those who did not follow the order.

Scattered gunfire could be heard in central Baghdad hours after Sadr's statement was released.

The security forces have faced fierce resistance to their efforts to crack down on Sadr's militia in Basra in the south.

Hundreds of militants, Iraqi soldiers and civilians have been killed as the fighting spread to Baghdad and other southern cities.

In the latest fighting, dozens of Shiite gunmen stormed a state television facility in central Basra on Sunday, forcing Iraqi troops guarding the building to flee and setting armored vehicles on fire.

No casualties were reported, but the attack illustrated anew the challenges facing Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki's government amid anger by Sadr's followers over the army's raids against the Mahdi army.

In Baghdad, sporadic fighting was reported earlier Sunday in the mainly Shiite eastern half of the capital, but the streets were otherwise largely quiet after the authorities extended an around-the-clock curfew that was imposed Thursday and had been due to expire Sunday.

The strength of the resistance to the week-old offensive has taken the U.S.-backed government by surprise, forcing it to come up with a new tactical plan to target several Mahdi army strongholds, a government official said.

The prime minister, himself a Shiite, has called the fight "a decisive and final battle" and vowed to remain in Basra until government forces wrest control from various militias, mainly the Mahdi army that is loyal to Sadr.

But Iraqi forces have struggled against the militants, who freely patrolled vast swaths of the city while the police manned checkpoints elsewhere. Shops were boarded up during the fighting and few people were moving about the city.

Maliki has staked his credibility on winning control of Basra from what the U.S. and Iraqi militaries say are criminal gangs.

But the offensive that began on March 18 enraged Sadr's followers, who accused rival Shiite parties of trying to crush their movement before provincial elections this autumn.

British forces moved closer to Basra on Sunday, but a spokesman said they had no plans to try to retake the city.

Witnesses said British troops in 8 to 10 armored vehicles had set up a checkpoint at the Zubair Bridge south of the city and were checking cars heading into Basra.

A British military spokesman confirmed that units were moving closer to the city to support Iraqis there. But Major Tom Holloway said, "They are not inside the city."

Britain withdrew its forces from Basra in December. A contingent of 4,100 troops has stayed near its base outside the city for the past six days while government troops battled the militia fighters.
Sadr calls on his militia to cease fire - International Herald Tribune

IF your truly winning the battle you don't call for your troops to back down.

Love to see the left bitch about this though....how many months ago was it that this article would have been about U.S. or British forces losing lives there? Even though this offensive in Basra is being fought with Iraqi forces, under the command of the Iraqi government, nobody can see any sort of silver lining?

Have a good one!:s4: