by Jay Deshmukh
NAJAF, Iraq, Aug 24 (AFP) - Iraqi security forces were poised for a major assault in Najaf's historic Old City Tuesday, much to the satisfaction of the few residents left in the battle-scared district after 20 days of fighting.
Around 100 intervention force members fanned out in the streets around the revered Imam Ali shrine for the first time since the near three-week showdown flared between Moqtada Sadr's Mehdi Army militia and US-led Iraqi forces.
Heavily armed Iraqi soldiers took position on streets and intersections of the neighbourhood, braced for whatever the coming hours may bring.
Helmeted, touting machine guns and wearing grenade belts, the soldiers patrolled from neighbourhood to neighbourhood, encouraging confidence among residents fed up with the militia and the devastation wrought by their uprising.
"We are patrolling the neighbourhood outside the shrine area as we need to give confidence to these people who have suffered a lot," said Lieutenant Haider Hassan Wahid, leading the soldiers from the front.
"Please do not move with us as there are snipers around," Wahid told a group of reporters chasing the soldiers, who ducked and ran to avoid being hit.
"These men are trained in combat-like operations," said US Marine Captain Nick Sims, nevertheless admitting they had little hard experience.
Dripping with sweat in the overpowering heat of an August afternoon in the Judeda neighbourhood, Sims monitored the way the soldiers went out their patrols.
"These soldiers are largely meant to offer the required confidence to people in a situation like this and also when required be available for a quick reaction," he said.
Deployed in the Old City for the first time, their presence indicated the imminence of a possible final assault on Sadr's militiamen still holed up in and around what is one of Shiite Islam's holiest shrines.
"May Allah take care of you," said 58-year-old Karim al-Jehari, a government employee keeping the home fires burning, after his family fled to relative safety at his brother's house in Kut to the east of Najaf.
Even as the soldiers prowled from one street to another, children ran after them, despite the dangers of gunfire and unexploded bombs, offering jugs of water while others clapped their hands with joy.
"Finally there is security in the area. No we are sure this is the begining of the end of the fight that has harrased us," said local resident Hamid al-Khafazi.
"You won't believe it but we've started calling our area mortar neighbourhood and not Judeda, due to the constant firing every day. At least 20 rounds fall every day and have wounded dozens of our people," he added.
Most nearby homes were deserted. Empty cartridges strewn across the road and bullet-ridden, broken lamposts bore silent witness to the carnage inflicted.
"We are now happy that the forces have slowly started coming. Let's hope the fight ends soon. We want peace. The Mehdi Army should be out of Najaf soon," said Jehari, as the soldiers moved on to another street.