State of emergency in Basra
2006-05-31 16:13
Basra - Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on Wednesday declared a state of emergency in the southern city of Basra, amid mounting violence, officials said.
Al-Maliki declared the month-long state of emergency during a visit to the city, 550km southeast of Baghdad, said Syed Muhammad al-Haidari, a top Shi'ite official who was travelling with the prime minister.
Tensions have been worsening in the Shi'ite-dominated area, where Britain has about 8 000 soldiers, and mostly Shi'ite militias have been attacking Sunnis and battling each other.
- SAPA