[Home] [Headlines] [Latest Articles] [Latest Comments] [Post] [Mail] [Sign-in] [Setup] [Help] [Register]
|
Status: Not Logged In; Sign In
Bush Wars Title: British soldiers die as helicopter is shot down. Then Basra erupts in bloody gun battles Bloddy battles were fought on the streets of Basra last night after a British helicopter crashed in the city, reportedly killing four airmen and drawing an Iraqi crowd shouting 'Victory to the Mahdi army'. At least three British army vehicles were set on fire as the crowd hurled petrol bombs at troops trying to reach the blazing wreckage. Iraqi police officials believed the aircraft had been brought down by a shoulder-fired missile. Four charred bodies were seen inside it, reports said. In the ensuing fighting, unconfirmed reports suggested that four Iraqis - some of them bystanders and thought to include a child - had also been killed. Soldiers fired three live rounds as they moved to seal off the area. A curfew was imposed from 8pm local time in a bid to restore calm. Des Browne, made Defence Secretary only hours earlier in the cabinet reshuffle, expressed his sympathies to the families of those affected saying: 'This tragic incident reminds us of the risks our servicemen and women face every day in helping to support the emerging democracy in Iraq and give all Iraqis hope for a better future.' While it was clear that there were no survivors, the Ministry of Defence was trying to establish how many people had been on board the helicopter. If it has been shot down, it would be the most serious attack on British troops in the southern Iraqi city for over a year, bringing the number of UK soldiers killed by attacks in Iraq to 108. The scenes of several hundred Iraqis yelling their opposition to the coalition's military presence, carried on Arabic TV throughout the day, could also call into question Blair's hopes of Iraq stabilising sufficiently to begin reducing the British presence. Iraqi police captain Mushtaq Khazim said the helicopter had been shot down in a residential district and that several witnesses had described seeing an explosion on board before it crashed. Major Sebastian Muntz, British army spokesman in Basra, said the situation had been 'quite tense' but hoped it had been an isolated incident. However a missile strike could herald a new threat to British forces in Basra, which have faced less serious attacks than US forces stationed further north. Most British casualties have been the result of increasingly sophisticated roadside bombs, though 'hostile fire' brought down a transport plane last year, killing 10 people. British forces have relied more heavily on helicopters to avoid the roadside attacks.'A successful militant missile strike would be a very serious problem for us,' said a recently retired British senior army officer. Within minutes of the crash, British forces, backed by armoured vehicles, rushed to the area. They were met by a hail of stones from a crowd of several hundred shaking fists and dancing as the smoke rose. Iraqi president Jalal Talabani last night sent condolences to the British families. 'I can assure you that Iraqis continue to honour and appreciate the efforts and sacrifice made by Her Majesty's forces,' he said. Shadow Defence Secretary Liam Fox and Lib Dem spokesman Nick Harvey both issued statements expressing sympathy for the families of the victims but said the crash raised broader questions. Harvey said the 'appalling incident' reinforced the need for a British 'exit strategy' from Iraq.
Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread |
|
[Home] [Headlines] [Latest Articles] [Latest Comments] [Post] [Mail] [Sign-in] [Setup] [Help] [Register]
|