Troops close Iranian border and crack down on insurgents | Iraq | Guardian Unlimited

Troops close Iranian border and crack down on insurgents | Iraq | Guardian Unlimited: "More than 3,000 British and Iraqi troops cordoned off Basra yesterday and closed nearby border crossings with Iran.

Codenamed Troy, the operation is aimed at Shia militia and criminal gangs said to be smuggling weapons from Iran, and also at insurgents within the southern city. In one of the biggest Iraqi-British operations to date, every vehicle on eight routes into and out of the city was being checked. British defence officials said it should be seen as part of the US-led surge in Baghdad and would last 72 hours. More than 2,000 Iraqi troops, supported by 1,200 British soldiers, are taking part.

Captain Ollie Pile, a spokesman for 19 Light Brigade in southern Iraq, described Operation Troy as conducted 'in partnership with the Baghdad security plan and other security operations being conducted throughout Iraq'. It follows Operation Sinbad, the first large-scale operation by Iraqi and British forces. For three months they have targeted criminals and insurgents in Basra, while more than £35m is spent on regeneration.

Capt Pile said Operation Troy was 'another step along the way towards the Iraqi authorities taking responsibility for the security of Basra'." Read complete post here.