|
|
|||||||
|
|
|||||||
|
News Search
|
|
29-01-2005 PA News BRITISH TROOPS CAPTURE BASRA BOMB SUSPECTS The following is pooled copy from Gethin Chamberlain, of The Scotsman, in Basra, Iraq. British forces swooped (Friday) to arrest a group of people in Basra suspected of plotting to create carnage at tomorrow's elections with a bombing campaign aimed at polling stations and coalition troops. Operating with Iraqi special forces, 200 men of the Scots Guards mounted simultaneous raids on four houses in the centre of Basra. Troops came under fire as they hit one house just 150 yards from a polling station. A blast bomb was thrown at the soldiers but there were no casualties. Troops were last night continuing to search the houses and a number of finds were made, including at the house next to the polling station in Basra's old town. British commanders believe that the men targeted in Friday's raids were plotting to mount large-scale attacks on polling stations and British forces. Last night Scots Guards commanding officer Lieutenant Colonel Harry Nickerson said information had been received to suggest that there were four insurgents, or insurgent groups, who were keen to disrupt the election and a decision was taken to arrest them and search their homes. “We have information that suggests that if we go to these four places we may find four people who would be better arrested or taken out of circulation because we believe they may be going to attack us or polling stations,” he said. “They want to bomb the polling stations or put large bombs into places to disrupt the process. We want to get to them before they get the chance.” Speaking before the raid he said the intention was to drive up to the homes of the four targets, knock on their doors and ask if they could go in. “If they decline to answer reasonably swiftly we will go in and search their houses.” The decision was taken to launch the raids in an attempt to prevent widespread loss of life after British commanders became aware of the presence of the bombers in the city. Soldiers from the Scots Guards left their Shaibah base south west of Basra shortly after 6pm local time on Friday evening. Lt Col Nickerson said he believed the operation had the support of the majority of Basra's population, although there would be a small minority who might object. British commanders opted for a softly-softly approach to the raid in the hope of maintaining the element of surprise and minimising any adverse public reactions. The raids took place in the dead of night while people were confined to their homes by the curfew imposed by the interim Iraqi government in the run up to the elections. Two units from the new Iraqi army's elite tactical support unit - Iraq's equivalent of the SAS - led the raid (a total of 24 men), supported by two companies of the Scots Guards in Land Rovers.
|
|
||||
|
................................................................................................................. Copyright ©2004 Gethin Chamberlain. All rights reserved. |
|||||||
