CAMP SAYLIYAH, 26 March 2003 — In an about-face, British forces yesterday said they have decided to move against militia fighters who have prevented them from securing the southern Iraqi city of Basra.
The decision to declare parts of Basra “military targets” came after UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan warned of a humanitarian crisis in the city and said “urgent measures” had to be taken to restore electricity and water.
British forces have surrounded the city and secured its airport but have continued to face small pockets of fighters loyal to Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, including his elite Fedayeen paramilitary force.
On Monday, there were artillery exchanges throughout the day. “We’re obviously assessing the situation before we commence operations to take out the non-regular militia which seems to be set to opposing our taking of the objective,” said Group Capt. Al Lockwood, spokesman for British forces in the Gulf.
With more than one million people in Basra, “we need to secure the city for the inhabitants and to ensure that their basic necessities in life are taken care of, and obviously that the necessary humanitarian aid, medical facilities are restored as quickly as possible,” he said.
British military officials had said several days ago that they would prefer to negotiate surrenders with enemy troops rather than move into Basra itself to secure it. But with resistance continuing, they apparently concluded that something more decisive was necessary.
A British military spokesman had said Basra itself was a military target, but later said only parts of the city — regime and military infrastructure — were now so designated.
British forces south of Basra have blocked an attempted breakout by up to 50 Iraqi tanks seeking to press southward from the edge of the city.
Captain Alan Massey of the flagship aircraft carrier Ark Royal said British light tanks from the Queen’s Dragoons’ Guard and marines from two battalions on the Faw Peninsula had halted the advance of the Iraqi tanks overnight and yesterday morning.
“They were aided by small helicopter gunships and further surveillance helicopters stationed on board ships in Britain’s amphibious task force off the Iraqi coast,” he said.
“We can’t attack them directly because of fear of collateral damage (civilian casualties) so we get them when they poke out,” Massey added.
He said the helicopter and ground forces had destroyed five to seven Iraqi tanks in the fighting so far.
In Az Zubayr late Monday, a British soldier was killed, Britain’s press information office here said.
It was the second combat death for Britain.
Also late Monday, 25 Iraqi armored vehicles, including a number of T-55 battle tanks, were destroyed when coalition air support moved in over the Faw peninsula, the spokesman said.
British troops have taken over all responsibility for southern Iraq as US forces press on toward the north in their campaign to oust President Saddam Hussein.
Earlier, a British spokesman at Central Command headquarters in Qatar said British troops would not enter Basra.
“We’re not going into Basra, it’s simply considered a target,” a British military spokesman at Central Command headquarters in Qatar said.
“The reason it is a potential target is because it has an enormous political and military importance in the area.”
Brig. Jim Dutton of the 3 commando brigade of the Royal Marines said an Iraqi unit of T-55 tanks was causing problems for the British at Abul Khasib, southeast of Basra, because they were hiding among houses.
The T-55 combines a high-velocity gun with a highly mobile chassis and a low silhouette. It was the former Soviet Union’s primary frontline battle tank until the 1980s.
Since the United States and Britain invaded Iraq last Thursday, British troops have been reluctant to engage in urban warfare which would endanger the civilian population.
