British and US troops participate in Basra raids

By DPA

London/Baghdad : British and US special forces are engaged in operations in Basra in southern Iraq against Shia militiamen, the BBC reported Wednesday citing a Western military source.

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In the past two weeks, up to 1,000 US soldiers have been deployed to Basra from other parts Iraq and the Middle East to support the 4,100 British troops there.

The aim of the operation is to detain senior figures in the Mehdi Army and other Shia militias, and members of a local tribe, according to the BBC.

For the past four weeks, fighting between militias and Iraqi security forces have intensified and spread from Basra to other parts of the Iraq, killing hundreds of people.