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Basra: Iraqi troops cordoned off the office of Shiite cleric Moqtada Al Sadr's followers in Basra on Friday and prevented them from holding prayers.
Al Sadr's aide, Shaikh Asad An Nasiri, condemned the "inhumane actions" of the government and vowed that Friday prayers would go ahead as planned.
"We have orders from the prime minister to take back all the governmental buildings that are occupied by parties and political movements in Basra within 48 hours," said Interior Ministry spokesman Major-General Abdul-Karim Khalaf.
The operation comes nearly a month after Prime Minister Nuri Al Maliki launched a crackdown on Al Sadr's Mahdi Army militia in Basra, sparking violent clashes.
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