US-led forces battled Iraqi Shi'ite Muslim militiamen in the holy city of Kerbala early today, killing three gunmen.
Fighting erupted shortly after midnight when Mehdi Army militiamen loyal to rebel cleric Moqtada al-Sadr fired mortar bombs, rocket-propelled grenades and machineguns at US and Bulgarian positions in the town southwest of Baghdad.
Soldiers returned fire and the exchanges lasted till dawn, the witnesses said. Hospital sources said three gunmen were killed and nine wounded, including three in serious condition.
There were similar clashes in the holy town of Najaf earlier this week in which at least five militiamen were killed.
US forces have vowed to capture or kill 30-year-old Sadr, a member of one of the most respected families in Najaf, the theological centre for many Shi'ites worldwide.
His Mehdi Army militia controls Najaf, nearby Kufa and Kerbala and maintains a presence in many other towns including Baghdad.
Sadr is wanted in the murder of another Shi'ite cleric. He has denied the charge.
