american 'technicians' wound holy warrior

Rebel Iraqi cleric Moqtada al-Sadr has been wounded during the US bombardment of the holy city of Najaf, but his exact condition is unknown, two of his spokesmen have said.

The US military on Thursday launched a massive assault on Najaf, home to the Imam Ali shrine, revered by Shiites the world over.

"Sayyed Moqtada was wounded in American bombing," spokesman Ahmad al-Shinabi told Reuters.

"He suffered three injuries to his body," he said.

"We don't know his exact condition or to where he was taken."

Another spokesman confirmed the report, but there has been no independent confirmation.

Thousands of US forces, backed by Iraqi police and national guard, yesterday mounted a pincer assault to trap Sadr's fighters in the heart of Najaf, before going on to raid the militia leader's home, which was unoccupied.

Further north, in Kut, which fell briefly to Sadr's militia during the spring uprising against the US-led occupation, heavy overnight US bombing killed 84 people and wounded 176, medics said.

Twenty-four hours of nationwide fighting in Iraq, mostly in the Shiite south and Sadr's Baghdad stronghold, has claimed 165 lives and wounded 594, the Iraqi Health Ministry said.