Basra militants 'worse than al-Qa'eda', says Iraqi prime minister Nuri al-Maliki

Nuri al-Maliki, the Iraqi prime minister, today vowed to continue the military operation against Shi'ite fighters in Basra "until the end", as British forces joined the fighting for the first time.

Mr Maliki's comments came after radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr defied a call by the Iraqi government for his Mehdi Army to give up its weapons, as clashes with troops continued for a fifth straight day.

At least 133 bodies and 647 wounded have been brought to five hospitals in the eastern half of Baghdad, the head of the health directorate for eastern Baghdad, Ali Bustan, said.

In Basra, government troops said they had killed 120 fighters.

Speaking on state television, Mr Maliki said troops would not leave Basra until "security is restored" and described the militants as "worse than al Qaeda".

"Our determination is strong ... those who break the law are punished, and those who draw their weapons in the face of the state are punished," he. Telegraph