As the war in Iraq approaches its second week, British forces have gained a decisive "stranglehold" around Basra while leaving an avenue of escape for the thousands of militia and Iraqi armed forces. Jack Fairweather outside Basra
The city, seen as "the key" to southern Iraq, has so far resisted the allied war machine, but after 48 hours of intense fighting British Royal Commandoes yesterday consolidated a commanding position in the suburbs in the south of the Basra.
In the north the 7th armoured brigade has moved within sight of the city's university, with units belonging to the Queen's Dragoon Guards now guarding the motorway that provides Basra with its only link to Baghdad.
Although the encirclement of the city is almost complete, military planners have left what one official described as an "open back-door". British forces have as yet not began pushing onto the eastern bank of the Shatt al-Arab which flows around the city, leaving an avenue down which Iraqi militia units can flee.
"The last thing we want to do is enter into street fighting," said one senior British officer.
Although resistance from both the northern and southern approaches to the city has been "light" over the past few days there are still no plans to enter Basra until it surrenders.
"We've got forces to go in case of a sustained uprising in the city. But at the moment we're going to slowly squeeze Basra into submission," said the officer. "There's a clear message we want to get across to the regime in the city, and that is: we're here to stay. You can either fight or flee, the choice is yours. But we also don't intend to take part in a war of attrition across the frontline. We will keep testing their defences to let them know we're here."
One such probing mission began yesterday by the Queen's Dragoon Guards who raided a militia stronghold inside the city limits with two Scimitar tanks.
After 10 minutes of heavy machine gun fire 15 militia were killed and 60 had taken flight deeper into Basra whilst the outpost itself, overlooking one of the main roads leading into Basra was left with only the lightest of pepperings from the shooting.
The officer in charge of the operation, Maj Matthew Botsford said, "These lightning raids still seem to be taking the Iraqis by surprise. They're expecting us to come charging towards their front door with tank guns blazing. Instead we're taking them on from the side."
But although military plans may involve patience it was clear yesterday from the few Iraqis who had managed to flee the city that the human toll of the waiting game was getting higher.
"We've had no clean water for two weeks since this war began," said one Iraqi, "People in Basra are begging the British to go in."