Seven British soldiers hurt in attack near Basra

Seven British soldiers were wounded and three Iraqis killed after a patrol south of Basra came under fire from insurgents armed with handguns and rocket-propelled grenades.

Seven British soldiers were wounded and three Iraqis killed after a patrol south of Basra came under fire from insurgents armed with handguns and rocket-propelled grenades.

The incident occurred on Friday evening in Qalah Salih, about 40km (25 miles) south of Amarah, after residents gathered around coalition troops as they arrested a man. The 1st Battalion, Light Infantry, came under small-arms fire. When heavier fire from machine guns and a rocket-propelled grenade came in, the British soldiers returned fire.

A nearby patrol took them to safety. Four soldiers were taken to a military hospital and three were treated on a British Army base. Their injuries are described as non-life-threatening, although some may be flown home for treatment.

Meanwhile, in Najaf, a delegation from Iraq's Governing Council met aides to the country's top Shia cleric on Saturday to salvage a deal on an interim constitution crucial to US plans to return sovereignty to Iraq by 30 June.

Governing Council members said they hoped to sign the constitution on Monday, but needed the approval of Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, a cleric who wields immense influence over the country's Shia majority. Objections from the Ayatollah forced the cancellation of plans to sign the document last Friday.