Influential Anti-American Shiite cleric Moqtada Al-Sadr's movement and the Iraqi government struck a deal to end weeks of fighting in Baghdad, officials said on Saturday as 13 more people were killed overnight. Sheikh Salah Al-Obeidi, spokesman for the cleric's office in Najaf, said the deal to end the fighting in the movement's east Baghdad stronghold of Sadr City would be effective from Sunday. “We will stop the fire, stop displaying arms in public and open all the roads leading to Sadr City,” Obeidi said. The truce could end violence that has killed several hundred people, trapped the 2 million residents of Sadr City in a battle zone and prompted aid workers to warn of a humanitarian crisis. But it is unclear how much control Sadr has over many of the militiamen who claim allegiance to him in Sadr City, stronghold of his Mehdi Army militia. “Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki has approved this agreement,” government spokesman Ali Al-Dabbagh said. “The Iraqi government calls on all parties to commit to this deal, to be calm and show self-restraint.” The US military declined to make any immediate comment. Dabbagh said the agreement called for militiamen to hand in their medium and heavy weapons.
