- Title: IRAQ: SHI'ITE MILITIA FIGHT BRITISH TROOPS IN BASRA.
- Date: 18th August 2004
- Summary: (W6) BASRA,IRAQ (AUGUST17,2004) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. MV/GV/GV/PAN: MASKED MAN HOLDING GRENADE LAUNCHER AT END OF ALLEYWAY; ANOTHER MASKED MAN LYING ON GROUND AT END OF ALLEYWAY; MAN LYING AS TANK DRIVES BY; MILITA CARRY MAN FROM SITE (5 SHOTS) 0.51 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 2nd September 2004 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: BASRA, IRAQ
- Country: Iraq
- Reuters ID: LVA7AXCV3RH4IHXYSGAOQ618QQS9
- Story Text: One man is killed as British troops battle Shi'ite
militia in Basra.
British troops battled Shi'ite militiamen in the oil
port city of Basra on Tuesday (August 17), witnesses said.
They said the clashes erupted as darkness fell.
Explosions and assault rifle fire were heard across the
city and at least one militiaman was killed. A British
spokesperson said he was checking the report.
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, a
spokeswoman for the British military said.
It was not immediately clear how many foreigners were
in the vehicles, the spokeswoman said, adding none were
hurt in the incident in central Basra.
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,
during which radical Shi'ites have risen up against
U.S.-led forces and the Iraqi government in seven other
cities.
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