Rival militants in Iraq reach truce with al-Qaida

A rival Islamic militant group reached a cease-fire with al-Qaida in Iraq Wednesday, said the group's spokesman. The conflict between the Islamic Army in Iraq and al-Qaida in Iraq had intensified in recent months. "This agreement is based on a cease-fire between the two parties that bans all armed acts and all other activities that could cause attrition," Ibrahim al-Shimmari, spokesman for the Islamic Army in Iraq, told Al-Jazeera television. "The armistice started at dawn Wednesday." Al-Jazeera showed a copy of the cease-fire, which stipulated "halting all escalation, including media" and "establishing a judicial committee on pending issues between the two parties."