Basra remains battleground

Fighting continued to paralyse the Iraqi city of Basra today as battles between government troops and militia spread across the country.

The attempt by prime minister Nouri Maliki to regain control of the strategic oil-rich region from Shiite forces appeared to be bogging down.

US jets flew airstrikes in support of the operation overnight, but Mr Maliki’s deadline of today for militia to hand in their weapons was extended by another week in the face of a muted response.

Sporadic fighting also broke out in Baghdad, despite a weekend curfew in the capital, and a mortar attack on the US-protected Green Zone which houses much of the Iraqi government killed two guards outside the vice-president’s office..

Mr Maliki has promised “no retreat” in the fight against militias in Basra despite growing anger among followers of radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr and his Mahdi Army.

The crackdown has intensified their anger over recent raids and detentions. They say US and Iraqi forces have taken advantage of their seven-month-old cease-fire to target the movement.

Al-Sadr yesterday called for a political solution to the crisis and an end to the “shedding of Iraqi blood”, but stopped short of ordering his militia to halt attacks.

Iraqis have been of control of security in Basra since British forces withdrew to their base at its nearby airport last December.

In political developments, the main Shiite bloc in parliament said it would not attend an emergency session today to find ways to end fighting between government forces and militia in southern Iraq.

The campaign to rid Basra, Iraq’s second-largest city, of lawless gangs and Shiite militias is a major test for the Shiite leader and for the Iraqi military.

The ability of Iraqi leaders and security forces to control situations like this one is key to hopes of withdrawing forces from the country.

The prime minister put his credibility on the line by flying down to Basra on Monday and issuing a weekend deadline for the surrender of Mahdi Army militiamen loyal to al-Sadr.

But the Basra offensive has faced fierce resistance and the security operation has triggered a violent response among al-Sadr’s followers in Baghdad and cities throughout the Shiite heartland of southern Iraq.

Fierce fighting in the Mahdi Army stronghold of Nasiriyah also killed at least four people, including two policemen and two civilians, and wounded 14, an officer said, adding that the clashes had spread to other parts of the city.