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Coalition forces seize militia leaders
MORE than 1000 British and Danish troops stormed a suburb of the Iraq city of Basra today and arrested five militia leaders accused of carrying out attacks on the forces."This is the biggest operation of this nature we've done out here since 2003," said Major Charlie Burbridge. "There were no casualties or fatalities on our side and no evidence whether or not we killed anyone in the process." Coalition infantry struck into the Al-Hartha district of northern Basra at 3am (1200 AEDT) while tanks rolled into the area from the south over a bridge and an amphibious assault team crossed the Shatt al-Arab waterway on boats. The force came under fire from assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenades and responded while still raiding five targeted addresses, and arrested "five leaders of rogue elements of militias operating in Basra," Maj Burbridge said. British forces in the southern city, a centre of Iraq's oil industry, often clash with Shi'ite militias such as factions of radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi Army, the largest unofficial armed group in Iraq. "The five were wanted in connection with various criminal activities; kidnapping, murder and attacks on multinational forces," Maj Burbridge said. Glad to see the Danes were involved. Of all the Euros, they seem to realize how much their culture is under threat. Posted by: phil_b 2006-12-08 |
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