Seven people were killed in Baghdad's Sadr City as clashes between security forces and Shiite militiamen continued in the capital on Wednesday, the fifth anniversary of the fall of Baghdad. The city's Green Zone, which houses diplomatic missions and much of Iraq's government, also came under renewed attack by rockets or mortars early Wednesday. The U.S. embassy confirmed the shelling, but said there were no immediate reports of casualties.
According to the AP, police said the seven victims in Sadr City - including three children - died when projectiles slammed into a house in the slum. Nearly 30 other people were wounded, said a hospital official. Eyewitnesses in the area said the attack was carried out by U.S. helicopters, but police said the blasts were caused by mortar rounds.
As tension rose in Baghdad on the eve of Wednesday's anniversary, the Iraqi military ordered vehicles and motorcycles off the streets from 5 a.m. Wednesday until midnight. The vehicle ban was imposed despite a decision by al-Sadr to call off his "million-strong" demonstration, set for Wednesday, to demand an end to the American military presence. Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit was also under a day-long curfew, AFP said.
