Iraq troops take control of Basra militia bastion

4 hours ago

BASRA, Iraq (AFP) — Iraqi forces took control on Saturday of a district of the southern city of Basra which has seen intense firefights between troops and Shiite militiamen, the interior ministry said.

Iraqi troops entered the northern Hayaniyah district of the city and took control of the area in an operation lasting several hours, ministry spokesman Major General Abdel Karim Khalaf said.

"We launched an operation in the morning. There was some exchange of fire. The operation is now over in Hayaniyah without any strong resistance," Khalaf told AFP.

"Our troops are deployed on the rooftops of tall buildings in the area," he added.

Hayaniyah, a stronghold of fighters loyal to anti-American cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, has seen intense firefights since March 25 when Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki ordered a crackdown on militiamen in the southern port city.

Since then US warplanes have carried out several air strikes in the district targeting Shiite militiamen. Dozens of people have been killed.

In a statement released in Baghdad, the US military said the operation in Hayaniyah was phase three of the Saulat al-Fursan (Charge of the Knights) assault launched by Maliki last month.

Saturday's operation was backed by British artillery and US aircraft which bombed known "criminal rocket and mortar sites west of Hayaniyah", the US statement said.

British military spokesman Major Tom Holloway said: "As with the earlier phases of Operation Charge of the Knights, this remains an Iraqi led, planned and executed mission.

"Coalition troops are ready to provide support to Iraqi security forces as requested and required," he added.

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