British Soldiers Free Two From Basra Jail

British Soldiers Use Tanks to Crash

Through Basra Jail Walls, Freeing

Two Captured Britons

BY ABBAS FAYADH Associated Press Writer
The Associated Press
BASRA, Iraq Sep 19, 2005 — In a major show of force, British soldiers used tanks to break down the walls of the central jail in this southern city late Monday and freed two Britons, allegedly undercover commandos, who had been arrested on charges of shooting two Iraqi policemen.

About 150 Iraqi prisoners also fled as British commandos stormed inside and rescued their comrades, said Aquil Jabbar, an Iraqi television cameraman who lives across the street from the jail. Earlier Monday, demonstrators hurled stones and Molotov cocktails at British tanks, and at least four people were killed.


The fighting in the oil city of Basra, 340 miles south of the capital, erupted after British armor encircled the jail where the two Britons were being held. During the melee one British soldier could be seen in a photograph scrambling for his life from a burning tank and the rock-throwing mob.

Arab satellite television stations showed pictures of two Western men sitting on the floor of the jail building with their hands tied behind their backs.

One of the men had a bandage covering most of the top of his head, the other had blood on his clothes. Television commentary identified them only as Britons.

British military officials had declined to comment on reports the two arrested men were soldiers operating undercover, but the Ministry of Defense in London told Britain's Press Association that "two military personnel were detained by Iraqi authorities earlier today."

British forces in Iraq are based in Basra and responsible for the city's security.

To the north, an estimated 3 million pilgrims some carrying signs reading "We welcome martyrdom" jammed the holy city of Karbala for a major Shiite festival Monday in defiance of insurgent declarations of all-out sectarian war.

And an Iraqi court in Baghdad sentenced one of Saddam Hussein's nephews to life in prison for funding the country's violent insurgency and bomb-making after a previously unannounced trial. It was the first known trial of any of the former leader's family.

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