Some 200 civilians shouting in Arabic and waving their arms in "keep out" motions, blocked a US convoy from entering the street leading to the mosque, recognizable by its prominent golden dome.

The CNN correspondent said the US troops were heading for the residence of the local Shiite ayatollah, who had agreed to meet with representatives of the US forces but asked first that his home be protected.

Shiite Muslims have come under attack from the regime of President Saddam Hussein, who is a non-practicing Sunni Muslim.

The crowd, said the correspondent, apparently thought the convoy was heading for the mosque, located on the same street.

The US commander ordered his troops to point their weapons toward the ground to dispel the tension, and finally ordered them to leave.

The previous day, US Central Command accused Iraqi forces of deliberately seeking cover in mosques and other religious sites, from which they fired at US soldiers, who did not fire back.

SPACE.WIRE