By DPA
Baghdad : British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said during an unannounced visit to Basra that Iraqi forces would take command of the southern province, where British troops are stationed, within two weeks, media reports said Monday.
Brown, who arrived in Basra Sunday evening, told British troops that violence has not ended but thanks to their efforts Iraq was now in a better position.
The British prime minister was to hold talks by phone with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and Defence Minister Abdel-Qadir al-Ubaydi, Iraqi MP Hasan al-Sinid told the Voices of Iraq news agency.
A British parliamentary committee said in November that British troops had failed to restore security to southern Iraq and warned against continued violence in the area.
Basra has been the scene of clashes between fighters opposed to foreign troops as well as among various Shia militias.
Britain will relinquish control of the last of the four regions of southern Iraq it occupied after the 2003 US-led invasion within two weeks.
Control over the city of Basra was handed over to Iraqi troops when British forces withdrew to an airport base in September.
Under a plan announced by Brown, the 4,500 remaining British troops in Iraq would be reduced to 2,500 by the spring of next year.