Out of Basra: A convoy of British armoured vehicles on the ten-mile trip from the city's palace to the airport base (click link to entry).
British jets have unleashed a hail of cannon fire around Basra, forcing militia to take cover as fighting in the city continued for a fourth day.
The show of force came after US pilots strafed suspected insurgent positions in the first air attacks since the launch of the Iraqi-led clampdown on Shia insurgents which has sparked violence across Iraq.
But the US strike prompted confusion when British officials initially said that coalition planes had dropped bombs in the city.
Major Tom Holloway, British military spokesman in Basra, later clarified that "incidences of weapons release" from the US aircraft in fact referred to strafing suspected insurgent positions.
Pilots swept low to unleash a hail of cannon rounds on a militia mortar firing point and a building believed to be being turned into an insurgent stronghold, he said.
During the course of the fighting, RAF aircraft - believed to be Tornado jets - followed suit, strafing patches of waste ground in a dramatic warning shot to suppress militia activity, the Ministry of Defence said.
It is understood that RAF aircraft carried out four separate shows of force on a day of sporadic fighting in the city which was handed over to full Iraqi control by British forces just three months ago....
The show of force came after US pilots strafed suspected insurgent positions in the first air attacks since the launch of the Iraqi-led clampdown on Shia insurgents which has sparked violence across Iraq.
But the US strike prompted confusion when British officials initially said that coalition planes had dropped bombs in the city.
Major Tom Holloway, British military spokesman in Basra, later clarified that "incidences of weapons release" from the US aircraft in fact referred to strafing suspected insurgent positions.
Pilots swept low to unleash a hail of cannon rounds on a militia mortar firing point and a building believed to be being turned into an insurgent stronghold, he said.
During the course of the fighting, RAF aircraft - believed to be Tornado jets - followed suit, strafing patches of waste ground in a dramatic warning shot to suppress militia activity, the Ministry of Defence said.
It is understood that RAF aircraft carried out four separate shows of force on a day of sporadic fighting in the city which was handed over to full Iraqi control by British forces just three months ago....
Sporatic fighting deserves Tornado Jets and bombs? Are they crazy? Do you know how many innocent people die when met with bombs? The American and British forces are using outrageous power to compensate for an Iraqi military and police that were wrong to start this in the first place.
