Заварушка вокруг вертолета в Басре. + 2 танка и лендровер (англ.)
По сообщению корреспондента АФП, из толпы сначала стреляли ракетами, потом дожигали бутылками.
BASRA, Iraq - Two British military tanks and a Land Rover were set on fire by angry Iraqis yesterday as troops came to recover the crew of a British helicopter that crashed in the southern city of Basra, an AFP correspondent reported.
Gunfire broke out between armed Iraqi civilians and British troops and a mob fired rockets at the military vehicles, he said.
Three vehicles were hit, one soldier was wounded by a shrapnel and an AFP photographer at the site was also hit in the leg by a rubber-coated bullet, he said.
A British military spokesman confirmed the clashes. "There were clashes between our guys and the people there and one of our tanks did take a petrol bomb thrown at it, but I have no other details," he said.
Dozens of British military vehicles had arrived at the site, while helicopters and two aircraft were hovering in the sky above the crash site, the correspondent reported.
He said the crowd could be seen throwing bottles full of petrol at the burning tanks and the Land Rover.
A British military helicopter crashed in Basra's central Al-Rabbat district. At least two British servicemen are reported to have been killed in the crash.
