Five feared dead after violence in wake of chopper crash
The Iraqi city of Basra has been placed under military curfew, imposed after a day of murder and violence.
Four British soldiers are feared dead after their helicopter was shot down, apparently by a missile, but this has not been confirmed.
It this is the case, it will be the first time a British helicopter has been shot down in that area.
Calm has now been restored to the city after a number of violent clashes between locals and British and Iraqi forces investigating the scene.
Following the crash, a crowd of locals cheered and celebrated near the wreck.
As soldiers moved in to secure the area, they came under a hail of stones and a number of armoured vehicles were set alight.
There were exchanges of gunfire but it is not clear where they came from.
It is believed that five local people were shot dead with the possibility that two were children, however this has not been confirmed either.
British soldiers claim that the deaths resulted from rounds fired by Iraqi militants which hit the crowd.
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