BAGHDAD, July 31: A senior aide to Moqtada Sadr was arrested Saturday in Karbala, said a spokesman for the Muslim cleric.

Sheikh Mithal al-Hasnawi, Mr Sadr's representative in Karbala, was arrested along with his brother in a joint raid by multinational forces and the Iraqi National Guard, Sheikh Raed al-Kadhemi told AFP.

"They barged into his home at around 3:00 am (local time) and arrested him and his brother for no reason whatsoever," Mr Kadhemi said.

Multinational forces were not immediately available for comment.

Mr Hasnawi became Mr Sadr's representative in Karbala in early June after fierce clashes between the Mehdi Army and multinational forces left hundreds dead and virtually destroyed half of Karbala's city centre, said Mr Kadhemi.-AFP