Baghdad vicinity formally named as Sadr city

By: Hamoud Kufi

BAGHDAD, Iraq: A neighborhood of two million in the northeast of the capital city of Baghdad known as Saddam city during the Saddam regime has been formerly named as As-Sadr city, reports said Sunday.

This was announced by Baghdad's city council chief Khaled Bashir Mirza at a conference of city council representatives from across Iraq. He said the measure adopted unanimously had been submitted to the council's secretary general for final approval.

As-Sadr city takes its name from two great Ayaat - Ayatullah Sayyid Muhammad Baqer As-Sadr and Ayatullah Sayyid Muhammad Sadeq As-Sadr – who were martyred in 1980 and 1999 respectively during the despotic era.

Terming it as a great moment, the representative of the US-led coalition provisional authority Ryan Crocker hailed the decision.

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