Secret operation launched in Baghdad to secure Britons' release

Baghdad: British and American Special Forces have started a secret operation inside the Shiite Sadr City of Baghdad searching for five British hostages, taking advantage of the recently-signed agreement between the Sadr trend and the Shiite ruling coalition, which came into effect last Friday, senior military sources said.

The sources confirmed to Gulf News that "special personnel trained to free the hostages will accompany the Iraqi forces that are allowed to enter the Sadr City according to the agreement to look for and release the five British hostages."

The five British hostages, a computer expert and four of his guards, were abducted from the Iraqi Finance Ministry in May 2007. The abduction was carried out by kidnappers wearing police uniforms and driving police vehicles.

Agreement

At the time Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari accused the Mahdi Army of carrying out the abductions.

The abduction took place on Palestine Street, east of the Iraqi capital, which is a few kilometers away from the main Sadr City entrance.

Witnesses had given information affirming that hostages were taken by police vehicles which headed to Sadr City, passing Canal Street.

"There are great hopes that the five British hostages will be found and recent information that they could be in Iran is inaccurate. I believe that going into Sadr City according to the agreement will help us discover their location or find any clues to their existence," Shawki Al Khaza'ali, an officer in the Iraqi army, told Gulf News.

In the past few days, rumours have spread claiming that Iraqi forces have entered some Sadr City neighbourhoods and have already found clues to prove that the British hostages have recently been in the places they had inspected.

However, Mohammad Abdul Karim, an officer in the Interior Ministry's information and investigations agency told Gulf News: "All information confirms that the hostages are alive but their release seems very difficult and I am afraid that any American and British operation to free them will threaten their life."

Sources in the Shiite coalition led by Abdul Aziz Al Hakim confirmed that the current settlement agreement with the Sadr trend does not contain any item referring to a joint operation to release the five hostages in Sadr City.