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Feared British combat casualties in Basra
There are reports of British casualties in Iraq after a "hostile incident" in Basra. One or two soldiers are feared injured after fighting Shia militiamen in the southern town. Details of the incident or confirmation of the casualties are not available, a Ministry of Defence spokesman said. Explosions and rifle fire echoed across the city as a number of small engagements broke out. Witnesses said militiamen loyal to radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr used rocket-propelled grenades in the firefight. A hotel was damaged and two Iraqi civilians were wounded. Earlier in the day, foreigners travelling in three British vehicles were taken to safety by British troops in the Basra after their convoy was hit by a roadside bomb. Witnesses said Sadr's militiamen attacked the vehicles and that at least one of the foreigners was wounded. Basra has been the scene of sporadic clashes between Shi'ite militants and British forces over the past 12 days. Posted by: Bulldog 2004-08-17 |
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