British troops took control of the offices of Muqtada al-Sadr in the southern city of Basra on Friday after clashing with militants loyal to the rebel cleric, witnesses said. An Associated Press reporter saw the British forces storm the offices and deploy around the building as reinforcements backed by tanks moved in. A British military spokesman said one British soldier was wounded in the clashes, but he was unable to confirm the building had been seized. "There have been several incidents in central Basra city," Squadron Leader Steve Dharamraj said, without providing further details. The fighting between the troops and al-Mahdi Army militiamen was centered near al-Sadr's offices in the al-Tuwaisa neighborhood in the city center. Sporadic explosions and gunfire echoed through the area. Flames could be seen leaping out of the second floor of the two-story building that houses the offices. Earlier, al-Mahdi Army militiamen took up positions on main streets and intersections near al-Sadr's office.
Tensions have been building between militiamen and British troops, who raided a smaller al-Sadr office in the city a couple of days ago. Sheik Asaad al-Basri, an al-Sadr aide in Basra, threatened during Friday prayers to restart military operations if the British forces did not give back the confiscated weapons. Some militiamen fleeing the scene of Friday's clashes said officials were mobilizing al-Mahdi Army members in the city. The raid could heighten tensions and possibly lead to retaliatory attacks from the militia. |