Topic: Gunmen kill aide of Iraqi Shiite cleric

Media: AFP
Byline: n/a
Date: 3 September 2006

IMARA - Gunmen killed a representative of revered Shiite cleric Grand
Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani in the southern Iraqi city of Imara on Sunday,
police said.

Sheikh Hassan Mohammed Mahdi al-Jawadi, 56, was gunned down in front of his
office by gunmen in a car, said a police officer from Imara in Misan
province.

He said gunmen had also killed Jawadi's son, who was a policeman, two weeks
ago in a similar attack.

Jawadi's killing comes a day after Sistani warned Prime Minister Nuri
al-Maliki of the dangers Iraq faced from militias if his fledgling
government failed to curb the raging sectarian violence.

Maliki met Sistani in the holy city of Najaf following massive killings of
Shiites last week in and around Baghdad.