| British troops restored calm to Basra after a weekend clash that left seven British soldiers injured and at least two Iraqis dead. The Daily Telegraph of London reported British troops were under attack throughout the weekend, first battling hundreds of militiamen loyal to the radical Shia leader Muqtada al-Sadr on Saturday. The troops were hit with a grenade on Sunday. The resistance arose a day after al-Sadr’s senior aide Sheikh Abdul-Sattar al-Bahadli held in his hand what he claimed were documents and photographs of British guards raping three Iraqi women in prisons in Iraq. Al-Bahadli offered bounties for anyone capturing or killing a British soldier. The Daily Telegraph reported that black-garbed militiamen moved in large numbers through the Basra streets. They reportedly fired upon British patrols, leading to skirmishes in several neighborhoods. Witness said on Sunday a rocket-propelled grenade was fired at the U.S.-led coalition headquarters. |