THE STAFFORDSHIRE PHOENIX SWOOPS DOWN ON BASRAH

Staffords phoenix swoop

In the early hours of the 5^th March 07 members of the 1^st Battalion The Staffordshire Regiment, based out of the Shatt Al Arab Hotel in northern Basrah, Iraq, launched Operation PHOENIX, a search and detention operation.

Although no arrests were made by the 1 STAFFORDS soldiers, normally based in Tidworth, Wiltshire, the raid uncovered a significant arsenal of ammunition, weapons and bomb-making equipment, hidden in a vehicle at the property. These included a 107mm rocket, 6 Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPGs), some of which were still in their primary packaging, a mortar launcher and a number of 60mm mortars. The size of the cache took the soldiers by surprise, and one of the bombs had to be blown up where it was found because it was considered too dangerous to move.

"We have no doubt that a find of this scale will mean we have saved the lives of other soldiers in the future," said Captain Alex Hodges, the Officer Commanding Support Company. "It will also mean that there are less weapons on the streets, which in turn can only make the streets safer for the people of Basra.

The operation, codenamed Operation PHOENIX, was launched after an Indirect Fire attack on Basra Palace. Those involved in the attack were observed and tracked to a building west of the Al Jameat district of Basra City. An operation to secure this location was quickly launched.

On their way to carrying out the raid soldiers from 1 STAFFORDS came under attack from small arms fire and Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPG) but the patrol continued to its target. At just after midnight local time they launched the operation on the property, where it was believed illegal weapons and ammunition were being stored. Whilst carrying out the raid, troops came under further attack

Major David Gell, the UK military spokesman in southern Iraq, explained the significance of this operation: "Op PHEONIX was a short-notice, reactive strike operation launched as a direct result of information gained after an attack made on a Multi National Forces base earlier in the evening," he said.

Maj Gell explained how important he believes operations of this nature are to bringing stability and security to the streets of Basra:

"In terms of what was found at the property, there's no doubt that the operation was a success. The fact that we found these weapons and equipment, which could well have been used for either mortar attacks or for producing roadside bombs against MNF soldiers, means that we have certainly disrupted rogue militia elements.

"Above all I believe the operation demonstrates the ability of UK forces to deal with the threat of Indirect Fire on its bases robustly and swiftly. These people now know that if they attack us we can strike back quickly and effectively."