British forces killed seven gunmen and destroyed the headquarters of the serious crimes unit in southern Basra this morning after learning prisoners there were about to be executed, the British military said.
Calling the city's police station a center of "criminal enterprise", British military spokesman Captain Tane Dunlop said the building had been demolished with explosives after the pre-dawn assault by around 1,000 troops.
Dunlop said the unit had been taking the law into its own hands. "Crimes unit? That's pretty much what it does, rather than prevent," he said.
An armored British force of Challenger tanks and Warrior armored fighting vehicles came under rocket-propelled grenade and machinegun fire from alleyways as it approached the station, said Major Charlie Burbridge, another British spokesman.
The force returned fire with heavy machineguns, killing seven gunmen, Major Burbridge said.
British forces seized senior members of the unit last week. It has long been accused of involvement in murders, attacks on coalition forces and kidnappings in the southern oil city, where rival Shia factions are fighting for control.
The British military had planned to disband the unit but decided to act on Monday after learning yesterday that some of the prisoners, all suspected criminals, inside the police station faced imminent execution, Major Burbridge said.