▁following . ▁On ▁ 7 ▁April ▁he ▁moved ▁to ▁Naj af , ▁into ▁a ▁building ▁close ▁to ▁the ▁shr ine ▁of ▁the ▁Im am ▁Ali , ▁the ▁h oli est ▁shr ine ▁in ▁the ▁Sh ia ▁faith . ▁After ▁fier ce ▁fighting ▁during ▁the ▁first ▁days ▁of ▁the ▁u pr ising , ▁his ▁follow ers ▁took ▁control ▁over ▁many ▁cities ▁in ▁southern ▁Ira q . ▁In ▁K ut ▁the ▁Ukrain ian ▁occup ational ▁cont ing ent ▁was ▁forced ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁city ▁by ▁a ▁rain ▁of ▁mort ar ▁fire . ▁The ▁It ali ans ▁were ▁contained ▁inside ▁their ▁base ▁in ▁N ass iri ya , ▁and ▁in ▁Bas ra ▁the ▁governor ' s ▁palace ▁was ▁occupied . ▁In ▁Kar b ala , ▁Polish ▁and ▁Bulgar ian ▁forces ▁were ▁able ▁to ▁hold ▁their ▁own ▁after ▁a ▁battle ▁last ing ▁the ▁whole ▁night . ▁The ▁Alliance ▁react ed ▁by ▁disp ens ing ▁a ▁reaction ary ▁force ▁on ▁ 8 ▁April ▁to ▁K ut , ▁forcing ▁al - S adr ▁follow ers ▁to ▁m elt ▁away ▁into ▁the ▁city ' s ▁population . ▁The ▁same ▁happened ▁in ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁other ▁cities ▁and ▁control ▁was ▁nomin ally ▁c eded . ▁Only ▁Naj af ▁and ▁K uf a , ▁which ▁the ▁Americans ▁did ▁not ▁enter , ▁remained ▁effectively ▁under ▁the ▁control ▁of ▁al - S adr ▁follow ers . ▁The ▁Co al ition ▁sent ▁ 2 , 5 0 0 ▁U . S . ▁Mar ines ▁to ▁Naj af ▁to ▁try ▁to ▁' arr est ▁or ▁kill