Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has extended for six months the cease-fire he imposed last summer on his Mehdi Army militia, al-Sadr's office in Baghdad said Friday. The official said a letter was distributed to all al-Sadr offices announcing the extension of the suspension, credited by the U.S. military with helping reduce the sectarian violence that has engulfed Baghdad and other hot spots across the country.The cease-fire is "an important commitment that can broadly contribute to further improvements in security for all Iraqi citizens," said a U.S. military statement delivered by Navy Cmdr. Scott Rye.
"It will also foster a better opportunity for national reconciliation and allow the coalition and Iraqi security forces to focus more intensively on al Qaeda terrorists," the statement said, referring to the predominantly Sunni militant group al Qaeda in Iraq.
The cease-fire was announced in late August after pitched battles in Karbala and other cities between the militia and fighters aligned with its Shiite rival, the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq.
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