Iraqi Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr called on his followers on Sunday to stop battling government forces, seeking to stamp down violence in towns and cities that has threatened to spiral out of control.
"Because of the religious responsibility, and to stop Iraqi blood being shed ... we call for an end to armed appearances in Basra and all other provinces," Mr Sadr said in a statement given to journalists by his aides in the holy Shia city of Najaf.
