A peace deal between the Iraqi government and insurgents in Fallujah would likely be in place on Monday, a spokesman for the negotiators said Sunday.

"The two rounds of talks held (on Sunday) proved to be positive and hopefully we shall settle all the disputes and reach an agreement tomorrow," said Sheikh Abdul al-Hamid Jadua, member of the Fallujah delegation.

The first meeting was with the Iraqi Defense Ministry, focusing on the locations where the Iraqi National Guard should take position once they enter the rebel-controlled city, Jadua told Xinhua.

The two parties also agreed to encourage people in Fallujah to turn over weaponry to the national guards and police on condition that the US troops refrain from entering the town.

The delegation, led by Sheikh Khalid al-Jumaily and attended by some former officers in Saddam Hussein's disbanded army, would travel to Baghdad on Monday to study further details, added the negotiator.

A separate delegation met with American officers Sunday at a US military base near Fallujah.

"We urged them to stop their air strikes that had caused innocent casualties and the outcome was positive," said Jadua without elaborating.

The interim government led by Iyad Allawi was using persuasive talks and hardline operations to retake as many as 30 cities currently held by insurgents, in an all-out effort  to pave the way for the elections slated for January.

A verbal pact has been stricken between the Iraqi authority and a popular militia loyal to radical Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr.

The militiamen were supposed to hand in weapons starting from Monday in exchange of a merciful policy. 

(Xinhua News Agency October 11, 2004)