Heavy fighting in southern Iraq continues for third day
Thursday, 27 Mar 2008 12:41
Fighting in southern Iraq has continued for a third day
Fighting in the southern regions of Iraq has continued for a third day as the battle between Iraqi security forces and Shia militias persists.
Reports claim there have been numerous firefights between the military and the militia in Basra and Hilla, south of Baghdad.
Violence in the region began on Tuesday when Iraqi military forces began a crackdown on Shia militias in Basra.
As a result, more then 70 people have been reported killed with hundreds others injured in the outbreaks of fighting between the two sides.
Thousands of supporters of the Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr today marched in Baghdad protesting against the government crackdown.
Curfews had been introduced across the south of Iraq in an attempt to stop the spread of violence.
One of the country's main oil export pipelines running from Basra was blown up by saboteurs on Thursday, cutting off a third of the city’s exports and 80 per cent of the government’s revenue.
US crude oil prices rose by more than $1 upon the news being announced to around $107 a barrel.
In further bloodshed, on Wednesday evening a US air raid was called in by Iraq forces in Hilla, leading a large number of casualties in the area.