Iraqi Forces, Militias Clash in Basra

[unhappycamper]

Iraqi Forces, Militias Clash in Basra
Associated Press | By Ryan Lenz | March 25, 2008

BAGHDAD - Iraqi forces clashed with Shiite militias in the southern oil port of Basra on March 25 as a security plan to clamp down on violence between rival militia factions in the region began.

Col. Karim al-Zaidi, spokesman for the Iraq military, said security forces concentrated heavily in the city's center encountered stiff resistance from Mahdi Army gunmen.

AP Television News video showed smoke from explosions rising over the city and Iraqi soldiers exchanging gunfire with militia members.

Iraqi authorities on March 24 set an indefinite nighttime curfew on the city, and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki traveled to the volatile area about 340 miles southeast of Baghdad. The move is a sign of growing security concerns in Iraq's oil capital.

Meanwhile, the U.S. military said on March 25 that five suspected militants were killed in Basra while attempting to place a roadside bomb. Ten others were injured after being spotted conducting suspicious activity, the statement said.


Rest of article at: http://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,13319,164683,00.html?wh=wh