Operation targets Basra militants

Iraqi forces said they were chasing fugitives

Iraqi forces in the southern city of Basra have launched a fresh operation against militants.

The operation, which apparently sought to seize illegally held weapons, opened with a massive display of firepower by supporting US and UK forces.

BBC sources said the operation first met fierce resistance. But the latest reports say the violence has subsided.

Meanwhile, clashes in Baghdad's Sadr City district are said to have claimed seven lives since Friday.

The district is Baghdad's main Shia militia stronghold and is the site of frequent confrontations between fighters and Iraqi and coalition forces.

Tensions have also been increased by the construction of a wall in the district by US and Iraqi forces.

They say the wall aims to hamper the militants who regularly fire mortars at the Green Zone, the huge Iraqi and American diplomatic and government compound.

But local residents complain such walls exacerbate local tensions and hinder their ability to move around.

Also on Saturday, clashes were reported between Iraqi forces and fighters from the Mehdi Army - loyal to the Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr - in the southern city of Nasiriya.

Firepower

The latest operation in Basra opened with a huge show of force by US and UK forces, who pounded a deserted area of the district of Hayania with artillery, reports the BBC's Crispin Thorold in Baghdad.

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Iraqi forces storming a house in Basra

"British artillery and US planes conducted a firepower demonstration to the west of Hayania, to give a demonstration of the firepower available if required," said a spokesman for British forces, Major Tom Holloway.

No casualties have been reported.

An Iraqi commander, Lt Gen Mohan Furaiji, said Iraqi Army units had entered Hayania - a stronghold of the militias - where they conducted searches for illegally held weapons.

"Our troops moved in there, and now they have reached the centre of Hayania. Now there are no confrontations, and anyone carrying weapons will be arrested," he said, according to news agency Reuters.

Fighting has continued in the Sadr City district of Baghdad

"We are chasing fugitives and arresting them. We expect within the next few hours that the operation will be concluded successfully."

Earlier, Gen Furaiji said local people had mostly been supportive, but admitted there had been "some opposition".

Local sources spoke of heavy clashes. But our correspondent says it is unclear whether the resistance was led by Mehdi Army fighters or so-called "independent" fighters.

Basra was the scene of intense fighting some three weeks ago, after Iraqi forces made an attempt to disarm militias operating in the city.

Operation criticised

That operation ground to a halt when the army faced considerable resistance from the militias, including the Mehdi Army.

The fighting spread to various parts of Iraq, hundreds of people were killed and thousands of civilians were trapped in their homes for days on end.

The militias were never disarmed, only promising to take their weapons off the streets.

The operation was criticised by US commanders as poorly planned and as failing to achieve its stated aims.

Gen Furaiji, the architect of the operation, was moved back to Baghdad, but the Iraqi government insisted he was not being fired.