Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has declared a month-long state of emergency for the city of Basra. The city is an area of Iraq presently controlled by British forces.
Al-Maliki threatened to defeat the insurgents in the mostly Shi'ite city, saying, 'We shall strike with an iron fist on the heads of the gangs or those who tamper with security.'
Basra, in the southern part of Iraq, has been known for its relative calm until recently when the situation began to deteriorate rapidly. In fighting between Shi'ite factions has been one of the main causes. Several Sunni mosques have also been forced to close due to the increasing sectarian violence.
Nine British soldiers have been killed in Basra and the surrounding areas in the past month. Fighting has sporadically broken out between British troops and Iraqis, especially after a helicopter crash on May 6.
It remains to be seen how much the Iraqi government can do to establish calm in this oil-rich and volatile area.
