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Fatal Basra Crash Sparks Unrest    [

    British Soldiers Die as Helicopter Is Shot Down. Then Basra Erupts in Bloody Gun Battles
    By Jason Burke and Ned Temko
    The Observer UK

    Sunday 07 May 2006

    Bloody 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.

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    Fatal Basra Crash Sparks Unrest
    BBC News

    Saturday 06 May 2006

    British soldiers have clashed with Iraqis after a number of UK servicemen died in a helicopter crash in the southern city of Basra.

    Iraqi police claimed five local people were shot dead in the unrest, although they did not know who fired the shots.

    The city has been placed under a night-time curfew to defuse tensions.

    Earlier Basra police said the aircraft crashed into a house after being hit by a rocket, but British ministers said the cause of the crash was unclear.

    Defence Secretary Des Browne offered his sympathies to the families of the servicemen who died.

    BBC correspondents in Iraq say the events have opened a new chapter for British forces in the area - and it will be increasingly difficult for them to control Basra's streets.

    According to police in the city, two children were among those killed and a further 19 people were wounded during the disturbances after the helicopter came down.

    Gen John Cooper, commander of the British forces in Iraq, said troops did not fire directly into the crowds but fired live rounds at targets threatening them.

    Major Sebastian Muntz, in Basra, could not confirm claims that people had died in the disturbances.

    He said the curfew, in force from 2000 to 0600 local time, was doing its job and the situation near the crash site was calm.

    Mr Browne, who has only been in the job since Friday, said he was "deeply saddened" by news of the crash, but warned against speculation over what had caused the incident.

    "The situation on the ground is still developing and facts are still coming in. We must be careful to allow those investigating the incident to do their job."

    In other developments:

•     A suicide bomber wearing an Iraqi army uniform entered an Iraqi army base in Tikrit and detonated an explosives belt, killing three army officers
•     Two Iraqi policemen were injured by a roadside bomb in the northern city of Mosul
•     In Baghdad, two children were killed and a woman injured when a mortar landed on their house in the north of the city

    Crowds of Iraqis cheered and celebrated near the site of the helicopter crash as the wreckage burned.

    The BBC's Andrew North said it was a sign of a "dramatic change in attitude" towards the British presence in southern Iraq.

    As the troops moved in to secure the area, they came under a hail of stones and several armoured vehicles were set alight by petrol bombs.

    Exchanges of gunfire took place but it was not clear where from, and it is thought the troops may have been the target of mortar shells that came down among the crowds of Iraqis.

    Maj Muntz said although the scenes in the city had been "horrible", the general situation had been improving recently.

    But our correspondents said Saturday's events made it clear that the number of people who wanted the British out was rising.

    If confirmed, it would be the first time a British military helicopter had been shot down in the area.

    The Liberal Democrats described it as an "appalling incident" and called for a "clear exit strategy" for British forces from the area.

    Shadow defence minister Liam Fox said: "This incident raises a number of questions about the state of our airmen, which I am keen to pursue with the new secretary of state as soon as possible."

    The MoD said it was not the right time to be discussing strategy, saying their efforts were concentrated on dealing with the situation on the ground.

    More than 100 British service personnel have been killed in Iraq in total.

    A hotline has been set up for families seeking information: 08457 800 900.