Five held in massive Iraq operation
By Thomas Harding, Defence Correspondent
Last Updated: 8:01pm GMT 08/12/2006
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British troops carried out a dramatic three pronged attack on insurgents in Basra today in the biggest strike operation since the invasion of Iraq.
More than 7,000 British troops are based in southern Iraq
Five alleged top level terrorists were arrested and a number of bombs that were just 48 hours away from being planted were found in the dawn swoop.
In a set piece assault, more than a 1,000 soldiers in tanks, armoured vehicles and boats carried out simultaneous raids into one of the toughest areas of Basra at 3am.
“We are not suggesting this is the silver bullet that will kill off the insurgency but it is very much a step along the way,” a senior military source said. “We have not cracked the nut yet but we have taken a very big chunk out of it.”
The new tactic could mark a turning point in targeting militias in Basra with commanders stepping up action against its leaders before next spring when the British hope to half the current strength in Iraq to 3,500.
The raid comes against a background of increased violence against the British, who have suffered 125 dead in Iraq, as they attempt to establish a degree of stability in Basra city and province, where most of their troops are based.
For the last two months they have worked alongside the Iraqi army conducting Operation Sinbad that is hoped to bring reconstruction to the city and purge the police of militia elements.
The assault into the densely populated Al Harthah district was launched when an “armoured fist” of 28 Warrior armoured vehicles carrying nearly 300 troops of the Duke of Lancashire’s Regiment and 14 Challenger 2 main battle tanks stormed across the Qamart Ali bridge.
As soon as the Iraqis heard the armour approaching they immediately opened fire from the narrow alleyways and two-storey mud brick houses that honeycomb the area which is bordered on two sides by wide rivers.
A barrage of rocket propelled grenades, hand grenades and small arms fire rained down on the tank column as it stormed across the bridge.
American F15 fighter jets were called in by RAF coordinators to conduct a low and fast flypast of the Iraqi position as a show of strength.
Troops then returned fire with the tanks of Egypt Squadron, 2 Royal Tank Regiment using their chain guns, and the soldiers using machine guns and SA80 assault rifles to put down fire.
“All the way over bridge we took incoming rounds but we punched our way through and got to the other side without casualties,” said an officer involved in the assault. “When we went in there we knew they would be well protected but we did have the element of surprise so they could not bring anything heavier to fire at us.”
As the tanks provided heavy covering fire the Warriors crossed over the bridge with half of them sweeping right and the other to the left.
Confronted by the narrow alleyways and darkness, the troops, equipped with night vision goggles, leapt out of the back of the Warriors to accompany specialist search teams from the Royal Engineers.
The troops entered two homes where they found AK47s, 12.7mm heavy machine guns, which can penetrate light armour, and a number of artillery shells strung together with detonator cable that are used to make the deadly roadside bombs. They also found 66mm rocket and RPGs.
The two arrested gang leaders were handcuffed, placed in the back of the Warriors and driven back for questioning at the main British base in Basra Air Station, eight miles outside the city.
As the tanks fought their way across the bridge a flotilla of high speed landing craft carrying a company of infantry conducted a daring amphibious raid onto another corner of the district known for its tribal fighting and criminality.
More than 100 soldiers from the Staffordshire Regiment were taken up the Shatt al Arab river in eight rigid raiders and two offshore raiding craft.
As the high speed boats hit land the troops, while under sporadic fire, leapt into the water and waded ashore. They rapidly made their way to houses where another two insurgents were detained.
Inside the homes the troops discovered arms and a number of “useful” documents that were last night being examined by intelligence officers.
The suspects were handcuffed and taken by boat back to the base at the Shatt al Arab hotel, close to the spot where terrorists murdered four troops last month, including Staff Sgt Sharron Elliot, the first woman soldier to be killed by hostile fire.
As the raids from the south west and south east took place a large force of Scottish troops accompanied by Danes attacked from the north.
The company of 110 men from the Black Watch in 20 armoured Snatch Land Rovers with 250 men from the Danish battalion in lightly armoured vehicles drove at speed into al Harthah.
Without a shot being fired they grabbed the fifth and final insurgent to be arrested.
Two large mosques were also searched, but the raid ended at 7.30 am before the majority of residents began to travel to them on Friday, the day of worship for Muslims.
Brig Tim Evans, the overall commander of the raid, deliberately deployed four times the number of troops usually used for a strike operation because they wanted to ensure none of the suspects got away.
“If you strike at just one person another four or five will disappear for months so we decided to go all in at one go,” said Major Charlie Burbridge, the British military spokesman.
