Cult leader killed in Iraqi, U.S. attack

BAGHDAD, Iraq – A Shiite cult leader, who claimed to be a revered Muslim figure who vanished in the 10th century, was killed Sunday along with scores of fighters poised to attack a holy city in southern Iraq and assassinate the country’s Shiite religious leadership, Iraqi officials said Monday.

Information about the scope of the encampment and the aspirations of the fighters emerged as Iraqi and U.S. troops inspected the rural battleground and hauled out those captured and killed during the day-long siege that began Sunday.

The discovery of a heavily armed Shiite-led cult, intent on attacking venerated Shiite symbols and leaders, startled Iraqi security officials who were already contending with rival religious factions battling for supremacy in the country.

“This is a new step in the annals of terrorism,” Iraq’s minister of national security, Shirwan al-Wahli, said. Wahli said the fighters were led by a man known as the Judge of Heaven, who claimed to be a direct descendant of the prophet Muhammad’s son-in-law, Ali. Wahli said the man also declared himself the Mahdi, the reappearance of the 12th imam, or leader of the faithful, who many Shiites believe vanished in the 10th century and whose return will mark an era of redemption and peace.

The cult leader killed Sunday probably sought to assassinate conservative Shiite religious leaders because they likely would have disputed his claim to be the Mahdi, said John O. Voll, a professor of Islamic studies at Georgetown University.

Wahli said the cult leader came from southern Iraq. Over a matter of months he recruited the estimated 700 people, known as the Soldiers of Heaven, who lived in tents and huts on farmland near Zarqaa, about eight miles northeast of Najaf, Wahli said.

Iraqi government spokesman Ali Dabbagh said the man’s name was Samer Abu Kamar, but other Iraqi officials assigned him different names.

Iraqi officials on Monday estimated the number of fighters killed at 200 to more than 400. The U.S. military, which provided backup ground troops along with helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft support, said more than 100 fighters were captured. Two U.S. soldiers died when their helicopter crashed.

Wahli said the structure of the group was Shiite, but it involved Sunni fighters and “based on the level of training, support and financing, it obviously has received support from outside Iraq.”

About 10 Iraqi soldiers and police officers also died in the battle, the Reuters news service cited Wahli as saying.

Iraqi and U.S. military officials characterized the attack as a positive signal that the Iraqi security forces were able to lead a major battle and were willing to target extremists from the same sect that runs the government. The U.S. military handed over primary control of Najaf province to Iraqi security forces last month.