UK troops, Shias clash in city set for handover

Al-Amara is the capital of Maysan province, which Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said in a May press conference with his then-British counterpart Jack Straw will be under complete Iraqi security control by July.

Attacks on British troops, however, are fairly common.

"There are fire attacks moderately often," British military spokesman, Major Sebastian Muntz said. "It does happen".

The governor of Maysan, Adel al-Maliki, told AFP that the provincial council would not meet Monday in protest at the deaths and black banners would be hung on official buildings in honour of the "martyrs".

"The handover of security is just an illusion, and they are just making fun of our beards," said the governor, who is close to Shia radical leader Moqtada al-Sadr, whose Mehdi Army militia often attacks British forces in the city.

"Judging by the actions of the multinational forces, like these raids and arrests and killings of innocents, we don't think they have any intention of handing over security."

Several rockets were fired on a British base near the city at around midnight (2000 GMT), prompting a military response.

"We are doing everything we can to prevent this, that's why the forces went to go inside Amara to arrest people and try and stop it," said Muntz.

Once they entered the Risala neighbourhood of the city, the troops came under attack, resulting in firefights throughout the district.