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Heavy fighting has been raging in Basra following a major pre-dawn offensive by thousands of Iraqi troops against Shi'ite militias² in the southern city. Iraqi officials say at least 12 people have been killed and 18 wounded in the clashes, but the numbers could be higher. Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr is threatening a campaign of "civil disobedience" if the crackdown on his militias continues.

伊拉克的巴士拉爆发激烈战斗。稍早时在这个南部城市，数以千计的伊拉克军队黎明前向什叶派反叛分子发起了攻势。伊拉克官员说，至少12人在冲突中死亡，18人受伤，但是实际数字可能比这要高。什叶派教长萨德尔威胁说，如果对他的武装继续进行镇压，他就要展开“公民不服从”运动。

Iraqi security forces and Shi'ite militias fought fierce gun battles on the streets of Basra after Iraqi troops launched a pre-dawn offensive to crack down on armed groups in the southern city.

伊拉克安全部队黎明前在南部城市巴士拉发动了打击武装组织的行动以后，伊拉克军队和什叶派反叛分子在巴士拉街头展开了激烈的枪战。

Residents of Basra said they could hear explosions and automatic weapons fire throughout the day, and columns of black smoke were seen rising above the city.

附近的居民们说，他们全天都可以听到爆炸声和机枪开火的声音，还看到滚滚黑烟在这个城市上空升起。

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki went to Basra on Monday to personally supervise the security operation, which targeted districts in central and northern parts of the city, strongholds of the Mehdi Army militia¹ led by Shi'ite cleric Moqtada Al-Sadr.

伊拉克总理马利基星期一曾亲自到巴士拉视察安全行动，这次行动针对巴士拉中部和北部地区什叶派教长萨德尔领导的什叶派民兵马赫迪军的据点展开。

The prime minister issued a statement saying the offensive was targeting "outlaws³" in Basra and was designed to bring the southern city under government control.

马利基总理发表声明说，这次攻击是针对巴士拉不法分子的，目的是将这个南部城市置于政府控制之下。

But Sadrist lawmakers and officials denounced the offensive and said they felt the government is targeting the Sadr organization, which is a powerful political force in southern Iraq.

但是伊拉克萨德尔派的议员和官员都谴责这次攻击行动，说他们认为政府是把矛头指向萨德尔组织，这是伊拉克南部一股强大的政治力量。

The cleric's aide Hazem Al-Aaraji read a statement on behalf of Sadr, demanding and end to the operation.

萨德尔的助手阿拉吉宣读了萨德尔的一项声明，要求结束这次军事行动。

He said Sadr's group was calling for a nationwide strike, and then if the Iraqi government does not comply, he said, "the second step will be civil disobedience in Baghdad and other provinces." He said after that would come a "third step," but did not say what it would be.

他说，萨德尔的组织呼吁举行全国大罢工，如果伊拉克政府不接受这项要求的话。阿拉吉说，第二个步骤就是要在巴格达和其它省份开展公民不服从的运动。他说，在那之后，还会有第三个步骤，但没有具体说明将采取什么行动。

Moqtada al-Sadr recently renewed a cease-fire that he originally ordered in August, instructing his powerful militia not to attack U.S. or Iraqi security forces. The cease-fire is seen as a major contributor to the reduction in violence in Iraq over the last year.

萨德尔最近重新启动了他去年8月下令执行的停火方案。这个方案指示他的强有力的军事组织停止袭击美国和伊拉克安全部队。这项方案被认为是去年伊拉克暴力减少的一个主要因素。

U.S. and Iraqi officials say they are not interested in fighting the overall Sadr organization, only what they call "rogue⁴ elements" who are refusing to obey the cease-fire.

美国和伊拉克官员说，他们对全面打击萨德尔组织没有兴趣，而仅仅要打击其中的“无赖分子”，因为这些人拒绝遵守停火方案。

British troops handed control of Basra province over to Iraqi security forces in December and were not taking part in the operation, dubbed⁵ "Charge of the Knights⁶."

英国军队去年12月把巴士拉省的控制权移交给伊拉克部队，因此没有参加这次代号为骑士冲锋的军事行动。

Clashes were also reported in the city of Kut. Overnight curfews were being imposed elsewhere in central and southern Iraq, including Kut and Nasiriya.

从库特市传来的消息称，当地也发生了冲突。伊拉克中部和南部、包括库特和纳西里耶在晚间都实行了宵禁。

Angry protesters took to the streets in the Sadr City district of Baghdad, a sprawling⁷ slum that is a Mehdi Army stronghold. Shops and businesses were reported to be closed throughout the neighborhood, with some residents saying they were too afraid of unrest to leave their homes.

愤怒的抗议者走上巴格达的萨德尔区街头，这里是一个面积很大的贫民窟，是马赫迪军的据点。据报导，这个地区各处的商店和生意都已关闭，一些居民说，他们太害怕动乱，以至不敢出门。