▁The ▁next ▁days ▁fighting ▁er upt ed ▁in ▁many ▁cities ▁in ▁southern ▁Ira q , ▁including ▁Kar b ala , ▁K ut , ▁N asi ri ya ▁and ▁Bas ra . ▁The ▁C PA ▁announced ▁the ▁existence ▁of ▁a ▁three - month - old ▁arrest ▁war rant , ▁issued ▁by ▁an ▁Ira qi ▁judge , ▁on ▁al - S adr , ▁claim ing ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁responsible ▁for ▁the ▁killing ▁of ▁Co al ition - aligned ▁cler ic ▁Abd ul ▁Maj id ▁al - K ho ei . ▁The ▁war rant ▁itself ▁inspired ▁further ▁opposition , ▁as ▁K ho ei ' s ▁own ▁follow ers ▁bl amed ▁Ba ' ath ists ▁for ▁the ▁murder , ▁the ▁Co al ition - app oint ed ▁Ira qi ▁Minister ▁of ▁Justice ▁stated ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁no ▁knowledge ▁of ▁the ▁war rant , ▁and ▁the ▁Ira qi ▁Jur ists ▁Association ▁declared ▁the ▁war rant ▁" il legal ". ▁Al - S adr , ▁who ▁had ▁previously ▁created ▁his ▁own ▁parallel ▁government ▁and ▁a ▁milit ia ▁called ▁the ▁al - M ah di ▁Army , ▁instruct ed ▁his ▁follow ers ▁to ▁no ▁longer ▁follow ▁along ▁with ▁the ▁occupation , ▁and ▁suggested ▁that ▁they ▁attack ▁Co al ition ▁soldiers , ▁and ▁his ▁follow ers ▁took ▁control ▁of ▁several ▁southern ▁cities , ▁often ▁with ▁the ▁support ▁of ▁local ▁authorities ▁and ▁police . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁first ▁few ▁days ▁of ▁the ▁u pr ising ▁al - S adr ▁stayed ▁in ▁K uf a , ▁where ▁he ▁tradition ally ▁had ▁a ▁large