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How did British forces secure Basra during the Iraq War?
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Iraq War
U.S. soldiers in Sāmarrāʾ, Iraq.
During the Iraq War, which began in 2003, British forces secured Basra by conducting a methodical siege operation against Iraqi army and paramilitary forces stationed in and around the city. This military action was prompted by the assessment that the city’s garrison posed a significant threat to the supply lines of the U.S.-led coalition. Following two weeks of intense fighting, the city fell to British forces, who subsequently occupied and governed the region until security responsibilities were transferred back to the Iraqi government in December 2007.1