Seventeen militants have been killed in the last 24 hours in clashes with US and Iraqi forces in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, the US military has said.
The Basra security leaders removed ...
British Army joins Basra fighting ... fighting was concentrated in eastern Baghdad as an offensive against the Shia Mehdi Army militia continues.
Around 1,000 people, including many civilians, have been killed as the fighting in the Shia stronghold of Sadr City has intensified in recent weeks.
In the southern city of Basra, the UK army base at the airport was targeted.
Sadr City evacuation
Two US air strikes killed nine militants early on Thursday in the New Baghdad district while eight other militants were killed in several other clashes around Baghdad, including Sadr City, since Wednesday, the US military said.
Iraqi medical officials said at least seven people were killed and 20 wounded in fighting in Sadr City, Associated Press news agency reported.
Iraqi officials say they are preparing to evacuate thousands of civilians from Sadr City as civilians there are running out of food and water.
An Iraqi government campaign against Shia militias began in Basra in late March but violence quickly spilled over into Baghdad.
The fighting in Basra has mostly died down and two weeks ago the Iraqi commander said his forces were in almost complete control of the port city.
But on Thursday, as many as 20 rockets were fired at the British army base at the airport outside Basra, Iraqi police said.
Iraqi and British army units sealed off the Zubair district of the city from where the rockets were launched.
(BBC)
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