UNITED NATIONS, Aug 26 (AFP) - UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said he welcomed steps on Thursday to end the standoff between US troops and Shiite fighters in the Iraqi city of Najaf but expressed concern over the mounting numbers of dead.
Fighters loyal to rebel cleric Moqtada Sadr were expected to withdraw on Friday from the Imam Ali shrine, one of the holiest sites for Muslims worldwide, Najaf`s governor told an Arabic television channel.
The announcement came after Sadr agreed to a deal with Iraq`s Shiite spiritual leader, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, to bring peace to the Iraqi holy city.
"The secretary general welcomes the efforts by Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani to find a peaceful solution to the situation in the holy city of Najaf, and is encouraged by reports that an agreement to halt the armed hostilities in Najaf has been reached," his spokesman said in a statement.
"The secretary general is greatly dismayed by the violent incidents today in Kufa and other locations in Iraq. He is particularly troubled by the high toll of dead and wounded, including civilian casualties," the statement said.
The hopes of peace came after a deadly day near Najaf in the twin city of Kufa, where 74 people were killed and 376 wounded in a mortar attack on the main mosque and shooting at demonstrations en route to Najaf, officials said.
"The secretary general reiterates that the United Nations stands ready to assist Iraqis in the transitional political process and calls upon them to resolve their differences through peaceful means," the statement said.
It also reminded all parties "of their responsibilities under international humanitarian law, including their obligation to ensure free and unhindered access of medical personnel and humanitarian aid to all areas in need."