Clashes between British forces and Shiite militia in the southern Iraqi city of Amarah left 14 people dead and 42 injured today, according to the Health Ministry.

British troops suffered two minor casualties during overnight fighting in the southern Iraqi Shiite city of Amarah that left ten militants dead and 50 Iraqis injured.

INSURGENTS loyal to radical Shi'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr battled fiercely with US and Iraqi forces in the holy city of Najaf yesterday in fighting that killed one US soldier, seven Iraqi civilians and seven militants.

British forces clashed with a rebel Shiite cleric’s militia which had threatened to unleash 1,000 fighters in Basra today unless four arrested men were freed.