Feb. 22 (Bloomberg) -- Shiite Muslim cleric Moqtada al-Sadr ordered his Mahdi Army to renew for six months a cease-fire that has enabled coalition forces to concentrate on pushing al-Qaeda out of Iraq.

The militia's half-year cease-fire, due to expire at the end of this month, will be extended, state television cited al-Sadr aide Sheik Hazim al-Araji as saying today. The cessation of activities will last for around another six months, ending on the the 15th day of the eighth month of the Islamic calendar, Shaban, which falls in mid-August, al-Araji said.

Mahdi Army leader al-Sadr was under pressure to end the cease-fire from followers who alleged the U.S. was exploiting the relative calm to arrest militia members. The suspension of attacks was declared Aug. 29 after the group was accused of involvement in clashes at a shrine that left 52 people dead.

The extension ``is an important commitment that can broadly contribute to further improvements in security for all Iraqi citizens,'' the U.S. military said in an e-mailed statement. ``It will also foster a better opportunity for national reconciliation and allow the coalition and Iraqi security forces to focus more intensively on al-Qaeda terrorists.''

Those who honor the freeze will be treated with ``respect and restraint,'' the military said, adding that they are open to dialogue with the al-Sadr movement and any group that seeks to bring about reconciliation.

Non-Violent Role

The U.S. and Iraq's government had said they expected al- Sadr to cooperate to extend the cease-fire. The U.S. has pushed for al-Sadr to take a more political, non-violent role.

In recent days, Shiite militia activity has increased, sending the message that some members aren't in favor of a peaceful Iraq, the U.S. military said. On Feb. 7, al-Sadr warned his fighters to observe the cease-fire, while less than a month earlier he said he may order operations to resume.

The Bush administration welcomed the extension of the cease- fire, saying the move will further isolate groups that are engaging in violence. ``It's a positive development,'' White House spokesman Scott Stanzel told reporters in Washington.

Al-Sadr and his militia ``recognize the role they play'' in acting as responsible members of the Shiite community, U.S. military spokesman Rear Admiral Gregory Smith said on Feb. 20. The cease-fire has been behind a decrease in sectarian violence in Iraq, giving U.S. and Iraqi forces ``an opportunity to go after al-Qaeda,'' he said.

Clashes With Factions

Before the cease-fire, the nationalist Mahdi Army had clashed with pro-Iranian Shiite factions in the south. In 2006, the U.S. had viewed al-Sadr's fighters ``as the most dangerous accelerant of potentially self-sustaining sectarian violence in Iraq,'' eclipsing al-Qaeda's Iraqi organization, according to a Defense Department report.

The group fought a major battle with U.S. forces that encircled Najaf, a city with sites revered by Shiites, in August 2004 before a cease-fire was brokered by Iraq's senior Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani. American troops have raided Sadr City, a stronghold for the militia in eastern Baghdad, since the U.S. intensified security operations in the capital in February 2007.

The Mahdi Army is suspected of carrying out many of the attacks in the southern city of Basra that have killed members of the British military, the second-largest contingent in the U.S.- led coalition.

To contact the reporter on this story: Camilla Hall in London at chall24@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: February 22, 2008 12:34 EST