▁re eling . ▁Support ed ▁by ▁hel ic opter ▁gun ships , ▁the ▁U . S . ▁military ▁managed ▁to ▁kill ▁several ▁hundred ▁al - M ah di ▁f igh ters , ▁and ▁further ▁close ▁in ▁on ▁the ▁I man ▁Ali ▁mos que , ▁where ▁al - S adr ▁had ▁made ▁his ▁base . ▁Br ut al ▁fighting ▁ra ged ▁between ▁U . S . ▁troops ▁and ▁al - Mad hi ▁milit iam en ▁in ▁a ▁c emetery ▁outside ▁the ▁mos que . ▁To ▁avoid ▁dam aging ▁the ▁sacred ▁mos que ▁in ▁a ▁direct ▁ra id , ▁a ▁political ▁solution ▁was ▁sought , ▁and ▁a ▁deal ▁was ▁struck ▁between ▁al - S ist ani ▁and ▁al - S adr ▁ended ▁his ▁re bell ion . ▁In ▁September ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁a ▁program ▁encourag ed ▁al - Mad hi ▁members ▁in ▁S adr ▁city ▁to ▁exchange ▁their ▁guns ▁into ▁authorities ▁for ▁a ▁financial ▁compens ation , ▁and ▁the ▁sl um ▁was ▁almost ▁fully ▁pac ified . ▁ ▁By ▁August ▁ 2 0 0 5 , ▁al - S adr ▁had ▁adopted ▁a ▁more ▁conc ili atory ▁tone , ▁along ▁with ▁a ▁much ▁lower ▁profile , ▁saying ▁" I ▁call ▁upon ▁all ▁the ▁bel ie vers ▁to ▁save ▁the ▁blood ▁of ▁the ▁Muslim s ▁and ▁to ▁return ▁to ▁their ▁homes " ▁after ▁an ▁out break ▁of ▁violence ▁between ▁some ▁of ▁his ▁follow ers ▁and ▁those ▁of ▁Abd ul ▁Az iz ▁al - H ak im . ▁ ▁Host ages ▁ ▁After ▁