UK forces hit Baath party offices in Basra

UK forces have attacked the headquarters of Baath party in Basra, a military spokesman said.

British forces have attacked the headquarters of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's ruling Baath party in the southern city of Basra in support of what they say is an uprising by residents, a military spokesman said on Wednesday.

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"We used a precision weapon to drop on the Baath party headquarters," Group Captain Al Lockwood told the BBC.

"There was an uprising yesterday (Tuesday). We hope to capitalise on that today to help them with their uprising."

British forces who are massed on the outskirts of Basra decided to attack forces loyal to Saddam after they began firing at the local population, the spokesman said.

"We had the Baath and militia and irregular forces who were terrorising the people of Basra," said Lockwood.

"They started mortaring. We replied with artillery fire."

British forces have massed outside the city, whose residents are largely Shiite Muslims long held down by the mainly Sunni regime in Baghdad, and are waiting for orders to attack.

Iraqi officials strongly deny there has been any rebellion in Basra and the Arabic satellite television channel Al-Jazeera said its correspondent in the city had found no sign of one.