By Xinhua
Baghdad : The Iraqi authorities imposed a curfew on Thursday in Baghdad as clashes between Shiite militiamenand security forces show no sign of winding down.
The Iraqi state TV said the curfew will be in effect from 11:00p.m. (2000 GMT) to 5:00 a.m. (0200 GMT) on Sunday.
The same rule has been implemented in six of the southern provinces, including Basra, according to Iraqi media.
Mortar and rocket fires, allegedly from Sadr City in east of Baghdad, continued to hit some areas in the capital city in the day, including the Green Zone which hosts Iraqi government facilities and the U.S. embassy. At least one civilian was killed and three others were injured.
Thousands of supporters of radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr took to the street in the day, demanding the government to stop attacking Sadr’s Mahdi Army militia and release the detained members.
Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, however, vowed that the offensive will go on. He has ordered the militants to surrender their weapons by Saturday.