Clashes between British forces and Mahdi Army members

(16 Jul 2007) 1. Long shot of British military vehicle driving, AUDIO: gunfire 2. Wide of British tanks driving, AUDIO: gunfire and explosions 3. Various of militant believed to belong to Muqtata al-Sadr's Al-Mahdi Army carrying what appears to be a rocket launcher 4. Militant crouching on floor and holding rifle 5. Man wearing a flak jacket running over the road carrying an unidentified object, UPSOUND people shouting 6. Wide of people in the street with weapons 7. Mid shot of militant walking with what appears to be a rocket launcher 8. People talking 9. Two militants running 10. Militant holding rifle taking cover behind waste tip 11. Militant crouching and aiming his gun STORYLINE: British troops came under attack from gunmen in the southern city of Basra on Monday but there were no reports of casualties, a British military spokesman said. The incident occurred before sunset in central Basra when the Provincial Joint Coordination Centre was subjected to small arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades, said Major Matthew Bird. Residents in the area said they saw helicopters hovering overhead as the clashes when on. Pictures filmed by AP Television and another news agency showed militants armed with guns and what appeared to be a rocket launcher. Gunfire and explosions could be heard as British military vehicles moved in the area. Attacks on British positions in Basra, Iraq's second-largest city, 550 kilometres (340 miles) southeast of Baghdad, occur almost daily. The attacks are usually blamed on the Mahdi Army militia of radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. Britain has withdrawn hundreds of troops from Iraq, leaving a force of around 5,500 based mainly on the fringes of Basra. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...