State of emergency declared in Basra
31/05/2006 - 15:04:24Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki today 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, 340 miles south-east of Baghdad, said Syed Muhammad al-Haidari, a top Shiite official who was travelling with the prime minister.
Tensions have been worsening in the Shiite-dominated area, where Britain has about 8,000 soldiers, and mostly Shiite militias have been attacking Sunnis and battling each other.
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