That truce is in tatters since the crackdown against Shiite militias began March 25 in Basra, sparking an uprising by the cleric's followers that quickly spread to Baghdad and other Shiite centers. The level of resistance in the overwhelmingly Shiite south dropped significantly when Sadr called his supporters off the streets five days after the crackdown began. But the fighting shows no sign of abating in Baghdad.
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Iraqi violence returns in force
April's death toll is the highest in months, for U.S. troops as well as civilians. Maliki lashes out at militias.
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The U.S. military said it killed at least 23 gunmen in exchanges Wednesday in and around Sadr City, one of which lasted two hours. The district's hospital officials said they had received 18 bodies and treated 31 people for injuries.
"Fighting in Sadr City is one of the main reasons for the spike in deaths this past month," said Joost Hiltermann of the International Crisis Group. "That trend will continue, and the relative quiet accomplished by the surge [will] come to an end, if the U.S. does not reach a new understanding with the Sadrists."
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alexandra.zavis@latimes.com
Special correspondents in Baghdad contributed to this report.
