This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/middle_east/7342694.stm

The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Key Sadr aide shot dead in Iraq Key Sadr aide shot dead in Iraq
(41 minutes later)
A relative and key follower of radical Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr has been shot dead in the Iraqi city of Najaf.A relative and key follower of radical Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr has been shot dead in the Iraqi city of Najaf.
Riyad al-Nuri, the director of the cleric's office in Najaf, was killed by unidentified gunmen near his home as he returned from Friday prayers.Riyad al-Nuri, the director of the cleric's office in Najaf, was killed by unidentified gunmen near his home as he returned from Friday prayers.
The Sadr movement has been involved in violent clashes with government forces since PM Nouri Maliki ordered a crackdown on militias last month. Police imposed an indefinite curfew in the city following the shooting.
Hundreds have died in clashes, mainly in Basra and Baghdad. The Sadr movement was involved in violent clashes with government forces after PM Nouri Maliki ordered a crackdown on militias last month.
Hundreds have died in clashes, mainly in the capital Baghdad and in Basra in the south.
Air strikesAir strikes
An aide to Moqtada Sadr, Haider al-Turfi, told AFP news agency: "When [Mr Nuri] arrived from the prayers, they opened fire on him, killing him instantly."An aide to Moqtada Sadr, Haider al-Turfi, told AFP news agency: "When [Mr Nuri] arrived from the prayers, they opened fire on him, killing him instantly."
Najaf police chief Maj Gen Abdul Karim Mustafa said an indefinite curfew had been imposed in the city.Najaf police chief Maj Gen Abdul Karim Mustafa said an indefinite curfew had been imposed in the city.
Police have set up blockades and ordered shops to close.
Earlier, US forces said they had used an unmanned drone aircraft to kill six Shia militant fighters in a missile strike in the Sadr City area of Baghdad.Earlier, US forces said they had used an unmanned drone aircraft to kill six Shia militant fighters in a missile strike in the Sadr City area of Baghdad.
In Basra in the south, the British military said a further six people were killed in an air strike. The US said the group had rocket-propelled grenade launchers and mortars.
In Basra, the British military said a further six people were killed in an air strike.
Spokesman Maj Tom Holloway said a US aircraft had identified a group of militants in the northern al-Hayaniyah district.
Basra saw the first of the clashes after Mr Maliki ordered his crackdown.
It has been quieter since Moqtada Sadr ordered his Mehdi Army militia off the streets.
In contrast, Baghdad has seen increasing violence this week, particularly in Sadr City.
Sadrists have said they are under siege from Iraqi and US forces and have threatened to break the general ceasefire Moqtada Sadr ordered last August.
On Monday, Mr Maliki threatened to exclude the radical Shia cleric's movement from politics unless he disbanded the Mehdi Army.