Firefight erupts between US soldiers and al Sadr supporters

(2 May 2004)
1. Civilians on side of road at checkpoint, US soldiers checking vehicle
2. Wide shot of US soldier kneeling by Humvee from across street, then audio of heavy gunfire exchange between the soldiers and al-Mahdi Army
3. US soldier kneeling by vehicle speaking on phone asking for support
4. US tank convoy rushing to checkpoint
5. US military convoy
6. Long shot of man with four children running after gunfire closed up on their vehicle
7. US soldiers
8. Various of man's vehicle with shattered windows

STORYLINE:

United States troops exchanged gunfire with radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's followers just outside of Najaf at a roadblock manned by American soldiers on Sunday.

There were no other details immediately available about the shooting.

US soldiers continued to man roadblocks on Sunday around the cities of Najaf and Kufa trying to stop supplies reaching insurgents that support al-Sadr who has been holed up in Najaf for the past few weeks.

Hundreds of US troops are deployed outside the Najaf-Kufa area, and a contingent has moved into a base within the city, about five kilometres (three miles) from sensitive holy sites at the heart of Najaf.

The Americans have clashed occasionally with al-Sadr's al-Mahdi Army outside Najaf.

An Iraqi delegation plans to meet with US officials on Sunday to discuss a proposal for ending a standoff in Najaf between American forces and the al-Mahdi Army.

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