IRAQ - May 21 - Heavy Fighting In Karbala.

Iraq American tanks and AC-130 gunships pound insurgent positions near 2 shrines of Imam Hussein and Imam Abbas, in the center of the holy city of Karbala killing 18 fighters loyal to rebel theologian Muqtada Al Sadr. The fighting began after insurgents fired rocket-propelled grenades at US tanks patrolling Karbala's so-called "Old City". The tanks returned fire, and more than 2 hours of heavy fighting followed. Smoke billowed from burning buildings hitting a rebel weapons cache. The military says it is doing its best to avoid damage to the gold-domed shrines. Dr Abbas Falih Al Hassani of Karbala's Al Hussein hospital said 12 people died, including 2 Iranian pilgrims. 13 were wounded. The dead included a driver for a camera crew of the Al Jazeera TV network. There was also overnight fighting between US forces and Al Sadr loyalists in another holy city, Najaf. One civilian died and another was injured when their car was caught in the crossfire. Near Baqouba, north of Baghdad, gunmen in pickup trucks opened fire on a base of the Iraqi security forces, killing 4. The slain men were members of the US-backed Iraqi Civil Defense Corps. Insurgents often target Iraqis who are perceived as collaborators with the coalition. The fighting comes on a day when hundreds of worshipers poured into holy Shiite shrines to listen to theologian's demand an end to the bloody fighting between the US forces and the insurgents loyal to Sadr. Theologgians called for the withdrawal of fighters from each sides, but carefully avoided singling out either US or Sadr's militia, the Mahdi Army. Sadr, who lives in the nearby holy city of Najaf, has been leading a six-week revolt against the occupation forces. His militia consists mostly of impoverished young men, many from the sprawling slum of Sadr City in northeastern Baghdad. They have taken over Karbala and Najaf and are attacking other cities across the south. At May 21 prayers in nearby Kufa, Sadr told 1,500 worshipers, "Don't let my killing or arrest be an excuse to end what you're doing, supporting the truth and standing up to the wrong".