 (KUNA) -- The British Army could return to the southern Iraqi city of Amara just two months after it pulled out if the Amara authorities ask for help, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed Friday.
| Might we suggest they show up with guns blazing? |
Clashes between police and up to 300 gunmen have been reported in the city. While the MoD described the situation as "calm but tense," Amara's council denied militias had "overrun" the city.
The MoD pulled all UK troops out of Amara last August because the security situation was "relatively quiet" there. Iraqi forces took over security in the city, in the Maysan province, and British troops were given other responsibilities in the surrounding area. A spokeswoman for the MoD said it would be keeping a "close watch" on developments in Amara. At least 12 people have died in clashes between gunmen loyal to the radical Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and local police.
| "Really, it all depends on how you define 'overrun,' doesn't it?" |
The British military has been making moves to hand over power to Iraqi forces in Maysan, following transfers of power in Dhi Qar and Muthanna provinces earlier this year. Basra and Maysan are the only two provinces still under British control. |