- Seven British soldiers were wounded and three Iraqis
killed after a patrol south of Basra came under fire from insurgents armed
with handguns and rocket-propelled grenades.
-
- The incident occurred on Friday evening in Qalah Salih,
about 40km (25 miles) south of Amarah, after residents gathered around
coalition troops as they arrested a man. The 1st Battalion, Light Infantry,
came under small-arms fire. When heavier fire from machine guns and a rocket-propelled
grenade came in, the British soldiers returned fire.
-
- A nearby patrol took them to safety. Four soldiers were
taken to a military hospital and three were treated on a British Army base.
Their injuries are described as non-life-threatening, although some may
be flown home for treatment.
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- Meanwhile, in Najaf, a delegation from Iraq's Governing
Council met aides to the country's top Shia cleric on Saturday to salvage
a deal on an interim constitution crucial to US plans to return sovereignty
to Iraq by 30 June.
-
- Governing Council members said they hoped to sign the
constitution on Monday, but needed the approval of Grand Ayatollah Ali
al-Sistani, a cleric who wields immense influence over the country's Shia
majority. Objections from the Ayatollah forced the cancellation of plans
to sign the document last Friday.
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- © 2004 Independent Digital (UK) Ltd
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- http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/story.jsp?story=498687
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