IRAQ HOLY CITIES GETTING HOLIER

Fighting erupted in the centre of Najaf on Friday as American tanks and soldiers battled militiamen loyal to the rebel Shi'ite cleric Mogtada Al-Sadr in a centuries-old cemetery well within range of the revered Shrine of Imam Ali. Amid plumes of smoke and explosions that echoed around the old city’s narrow streets, the shrine itself was reportedly hit by gunfire, pitting its golden dome with four small holes. More holes littered the walls of buildings throughout the area as a result of recent fighting. Meanwhile in Karbala, militiamen taking cover near two other Shi'ite shrines bombarded American soldiers with mortar shells and rocket-propelled grenades, causing the Americans to exclaim "Holy @#$%^!".

Related: Battle In Iraq's Holy Cities