Townspeople Chased, Killed U.K. Troops
The Associated Press
Wednesday, June 25, 2003; 4:06 AM
MAJAR AL-KABIR, Iraq - Townspeople furious over civilian deaths during a demonstration in this southern Iraqi town chased down and killed six British military police, local police said Wednesday.
Abbas Faddhel, an Iraqi policeman in the town, said the British troops shot and killed four civilian demonstrators on Tuesday.
Armed civilians then killed two of the British soldiers at the scene of the demonstration - in front of the mayor's office - and then chased four other British soldiers to a police station, killing them after a two-hour gunbattle, Faddhel said.
Abu Zahraa, a 30-year-old local vendor, also said that Iraqi civilians were killed by British soldiers during a demonstration earlier Tuesday against the presence of British forces in the city. He said the British had formally agreed a day earlier to let local police patrol the city.
Zahraa and another witness, who declined to give his name, said the British troops came under attack and retreated to the local police station. Angry townspeople then went to their homes to fetch assault rifles, returned to the station and attacked the besieged British soldiers, all of whom died, the witnesses said.
The witnesses said that two Iraqis died in the firefight with townspeople, but Faddhel, the policeman, could not confirm that account.
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