US troops killed 41 members of Moqtada al-Sadr's militia in a firefight east of Najaf today and recaptured the governor's office in the city, a senior coalition military official said.
"The governor's office is at the very edge of the town...We have resecured the governor's building and we intend to have the governor reoccupy it to have the coalition retake control of the city," the official said, adding that US forces were largely unopposed.
Separately, US forces ran an operation to the east of Najaf, across the Euphrates River, which drew heavy contact with Sadr's Mehdi Army militia, resulting in 41 militiamen being killed, the official said. He gave no details about US casualties.
Soldiers moved into the area of the governor's office in four directions to take control of the building. There appeared to be few if any militiamen in the building, which was taken without a fight. Afterward, however, gunfire could be heard, and US helicopters were seen flying low over parts of the city.
US forces on Monday began their biggest assault yet against militiamen loyal to radical Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, raiding hideouts in several cities and clashing with gunmen.
Al-Sadr's forces last month took control of government buildings and police station in southern cities including Najaf and Kufa.
Across from the nearby town of Kufa, where al-Sadr's militia is also powerful, US soldiers fought a gun battle with Iraqi fighters, killing 28 militiamen.