Gold9472
09-19-2005, 10:51 AM
Two British soldiers detained by Iraqi police
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20050919/wl_uk_afp/iraqbritainbasradetain
9/19/2005
BAGHDAD (AFP) - Iraqi police have detained two British soldiers in the southern port city of Basra, following a shooting incident.
"We can confirm that the Iraqi authorities are holding two UK service personnel and we are liaising with the Iraqi authorities on this matter," a British military spokesman told AFP by telephone from Basra.
British forces on Monday surrounded a police station in the centre of Basra after Iraqi police refused to release the two men, an AFP photographer at the scene said Monday.
The British forces were themselves surrounded by demonstrators who threw stones and British soldiers fired warning shots, he said.
Demonstrators then set fire to two British tanks. British soldiers jumped from the tanks and withdrew without returning fire..
It was not immediately known if there were any injuries.
One Basra policeman said the two men who were detained were undercover soldiers, wearing Arab costume, who allegedly fired at a police patrol before being forced to stop.
At a recent military briefing in Basra, an AFP correspondent was told British soldiers had been ordered not to stop at Iraqi police checkpoints because of fear that rebels could be posing as Iraqi police.
In another incident on Sunday, angry armed Shiite militiamen from the outlawed Mehdi Army demonstrated in central Basra after British soldiers arrested their local leader on charges of terrorism.
British forces confirmed they had arrested "three prominent individuals".
"The operation is the result of an ongoing multinational force investigation that identified individuals believed to be responsible for organising terrorist attacks against multinational forces," a British military statement said.
Three British soldiers and six coalition members have been killed in attacks in the Basra area over the past two months.
It was not immediately known if there was any link between the incidents on Sunday and Monday.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20050919/wl_uk_afp/iraqbritainbasradetain
9/19/2005
BAGHDAD (AFP) - Iraqi police have detained two British soldiers in the southern port city of Basra, following a shooting incident.
"We can confirm that the Iraqi authorities are holding two UK service personnel and we are liaising with the Iraqi authorities on this matter," a British military spokesman told AFP by telephone from Basra.
British forces on Monday surrounded a police station in the centre of Basra after Iraqi police refused to release the two men, an AFP photographer at the scene said Monday.
The British forces were themselves surrounded by demonstrators who threw stones and British soldiers fired warning shots, he said.
Demonstrators then set fire to two British tanks. British soldiers jumped from the tanks and withdrew without returning fire..
It was not immediately known if there were any injuries.
One Basra policeman said the two men who were detained were undercover soldiers, wearing Arab costume, who allegedly fired at a police patrol before being forced to stop.
At a recent military briefing in Basra, an AFP correspondent was told British soldiers had been ordered not to stop at Iraqi police checkpoints because of fear that rebels could be posing as Iraqi police.
In another incident on Sunday, angry armed Shiite militiamen from the outlawed Mehdi Army demonstrated in central Basra after British soldiers arrested their local leader on charges of terrorism.
British forces confirmed they had arrested "three prominent individuals".
"The operation is the result of an ongoing multinational force investigation that identified individuals believed to be responsible for organising terrorist attacks against multinational forces," a British military statement said.
Three British soldiers and six coalition members have been killed in attacks in the Basra area over the past two months.
It was not immediately known if there was any link between the incidents on Sunday and Monday.