Searches 'stopped' before Iraq killings

UK troops continue to patrol in Iraq

Controversial weapon searches in the Iraqi town where six British soldiers were killed had been stopped in response to protests from local people, the Army has said.

The killings happened on Tuesday after a demonstration about the searches in the southern town of Majar al-Kabir got out of hand, say residents.

The Army says a "misunderstanding" over the searches led to eight members of the 1st Battalion the Parachute Regiment being wounded in a firefight on the same day.

Trouble erupted when local people expected the troops to search their homes when they were planning to conduct a routine joint patrol with local militia, said Major General Peter Wall in Basra.

How the carnage unfolded in Majar al-Kabir

The troops came under attack from rocket propelled grenades and a quick reaction force, including a helicopter sent to rescue the troops, also came under attack.

General Wall said: "The crowd violence appears to have stemmed from a misunderstanding.

"The townspeople expected searches for weapons to be conducted by our patrols.

"That was not our intent and this had been explained to the town council at a formal meeting earlier in the week, when the strength of their resentment to weapons searches had become clear."

The patrol was sent in "to build confidence among the townspeople, contain lawlessness and not do anything more intrusive", he said.

The violence continued later in the day when six Royal Military Police were killed.

Two incidents which saw British soldiers attacked in Majar al-Kabir on Tuesday are under investigation. This is what is known so far.

In pictures

General Wall said it would be inappropriate to comment on the killings while the facts still had to be established.

"The fact the there were no British survivors makes this particularly difficult," he said.

"We know that they were in the police station, we know that they were overwhelmed by an aggressive crowd, we know that ultimately, and very sadly, they were all killed.

"Their bodies were recovered by the local Maysan province guard service to an incident control point that we had by then established in the outskirts of the town."

'Heavy-handed'

The six-man patrol had planned to visit several police stations to liaise about policing matters and monitor their progress, General Wall said.

A demonstration erupted when they stopped in the town of Majar al-Kabir, residents said.

When asked if the killers would be caught, General Wall said: "Yes, most certainly."

Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon said: "I think, certainly, that the fact that we had decided to call off searches on the Monday clearly hadn't been properly understood by the local population, and not communicated properly to them."

The Army has confirmed it used sniffer dogs during previous searches - a tactic that caused outrage among the conservative Shia Muslim population, who regard dogs as offensive because they are considered unclean.

Soldiers being heavy-handed, not giving notice of searches and rifling through women's wardrobes are also among the reported grievances.

It is the heaviest single hostile combat loss for British forces since the 1991 Gulf War and could prompt a rethink of military tactics.

RMP TROOPS KILLED IN IRAQ

Corporal Simon Miller, 21
Tyne and Wear (pictured)

Sergeant Simon Alexander Hamilton-Jewell, 41
from Chessington, Surrey

Corporal Russell Aston, 30
Swadlincote, Derbyshire

Corporal Paul Graham Long, 24
Colchester

Lance-Corporal Benjamin John McGowan Hyde, 23
Northallerton, Yorks

Lance-Corporal Thomas Richard Keys, 20
Bala, N Wales

Shock in Colchester

Profile of Royal Military Police

Some reports said up to four Iraqis were also killed.

There are questions over whether the military police who died were equipped to properly defend themselves.

Concern has also been raised over the "softly, softly" approach being used Iraq, with patrolling soldiers shunning helmets and flak jackets and maintaining a high profile.

A senior military police source told The Sun newspaper: "The difference was the Paras were armed to the teeth with heavy weapons.

"[The military police] could not summon help fast as they did not have the emergency radio equipment."

The officer said: "They were deployed with minimal small arms with limited ammunition.

"They did not have anti-tank weapons, general purpose machine guns or sniper rifles."

The MoD has refused to comment on the claims.

In the latest attack on coalition troops, a patrol of US soldiers came under attack on the outskirts of Baghdad on Thursday, with reports that one person has died.

There are 14,000 British forces patrolling parts of Iraq in the aftermath of April's conflict, but "thousands" more could be sent if necessary, said Mr Hoon.