Iraqi interpreters working for the British Army have been advised to leave Basra or be killed.

The warning was issued by a leading member of the city’s security forces after militiamen attacked and destroyed the home of one interpreter and narrowly failed to kidnap another. There were unconfirmed reports yesterday that a third had been killed.

“All the interpreters have to leave Basra because these militia will never let them rest. They will kill everybody they know [who worked for the British],” Colonel Saleem Agaa Alzabon, who leads Basra’s special forces, said. “The interpreters have to leave. They have no choice.”

Colonel Saleem and the two targeted interpreters told The Times that the militiamen – almost certainly members of the Shia al-Mahdi Army – had stepped up their pursuit of so-called collaborators since the British withdrew from Basra city 11 days ago. The latest attacks are further evidence of the extreme danger that the 91 interpreters for the British military face now, let alone when the troops leave Iraq for good. They will intensify the pressure on Britain to reverse its refusal to grant them asylum. Gordon Brown ordered a review of that policy after The Times highlighted the interpreters’ plight last month.

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The target of the first attack was Ahmed, 25, a student who has been working for the British Army for three years, first in a base in the Shatt al-Arab hotel and now at the al-Shaibah base outside Basra, where the Irish Guards are training Iraqi troops.

Ahmed (not his real name) said that last Friday his 22-year-old cousin borrowed his car to fetch his sister, who lives near the al-Shaibah base. The cousin used the route Ahmed normally takes to work. He was stopped by four masked men at a makeshift checkpoint and whisked away.

When the kidnappers realised that they had the wrong man they telephoned the cousin’s family to say that he would be killed if Ahmed did not give himself up. The family lied, saying that Ahmed had left Iraq. The kidnappers then demanded a $15,000 (£7,500) ransom.

Ahmed handed over all the money that he had saved over three years. The family asked a tribal leader to give it to the kidnappers and bring back the cousin so that they would not be cheated. The cousin returned home with a message for Ahmed: “If we find you anywhere in Basra we will kill you, but if you come to us and give us information we will let you live.”

Ahmed has now sent his wife and one-year-old daughter to a relative’s house far from Basra and intends to stay on the al-Shaibah base. He said that if the Government did not grant him asylum in Britain he would have to seek refuge in another country.

“I’m very frightened,” he said. “The militias know all the interpreters in Basra. They waited for the British to leave so they could attack us . . . If the British don’t give me asylum I will have big problems because if I stay in Iraq I will be killed.”

A British officer, who declined to be named, confirmed Ahmed’s identity, and saw no reason to doubt his story. “It would not be the first time something like this has happened,” he said.

The second attack came late on Sunday night. Mohammed Motlag, who has worked as an interpreter since 2003, told The Times that he was working at the British base at Basra airport when his wife telephoned to say their house was being attacked by about 40 militiamen. They were shouting: “We have come to kill your husband. He’s a spy for the British forces.”

Mr Motlag, 46, said that his two children, aged 6 and 3, were also in the house. He could hear the militiamen trying to break down the door. Weeping at his helplessness, he told his wife to get his gun and start firing.

He then called Colonel Saleem, an old friend, who rushed a police detachment to rescue the family. The militiamen later blew up the house with grenades. Mr Motlag said that his family were now in hiding. Colonel Saleem corroborated Mohammed’s story when contacted by The Times. “That's right,” he said, and then repeated it himself.

The Ministry of Defence said it was aware of the interpreters’ claims, took the safety of its Iraqi employees very seriously, and was reviewing the assistance it provides to them. It continued: “The total number of Iraqis who have worked for us since 2003 with a claim to assistance could be at least 15,000. We therefore need to consider the options carefully.”

Senior politicians, diplomats and army officers have urged the Government to grant the interpreters asylum. The Times has learnt that the Government privately accepts that it has a moral obligation to help them, but ministers are still debating how many of the thousands of other Iraqis – and their dependents – who have assisted the British should be allowed in.

An interpreter working for the British describes an attack on his family

Tonight at 2300 hrs, my telephone was rung, it is my wife; she shouted and cried: “Mohammed the militia are at the door trying to break it” she said.

I am in the COB [British airport base] and she is inside the house. I was hearing the sounds of my children saying: “Daddy: save us.” My wife: they broken the 1st door and trying to broke the second.

I phoned the ops room of the regiment in which I work, although I know they have no permission to come inside the Basra city because of the decision of pullout from Basra city. * I phoned the police returning back to my wife, I was crying because I hear the crying of my children having no ability to save them (Trying to be steadfast), and all of a sudden the idea of using my rifle which is in my home crossed my mind. Shouting “use the rifle” I said. She replied I don’t know how to use it.

I don’t know how I taught her with my telephone. She shot 6 rounds inside the room. They are still hammering the door. At that time, a captain from the regiment arrived to my office, I made the loudspeaker of my telephone on in order to hear him the sound of shooting and the crying of my children and my wife.

“Mohammed they attacked us from the outside of the building, they are saying we shall kill you and your children because your husband hides himself working as a servant with his infidel masters British” she said.

The officer order me to go to the ops room of RHA [Royal Horse Artillery], but on my way I returned back to the police I entreat them at times and abusing them at other times because they are late to save my family.

By Chance, I found another name who appear in front of my eyes, Colonel Saleem, I worked with him in Az Zubayr when he was the commander of police in this city for more than a year ago but he was moved to be the commander of QRF [Quick Reaction Force] of Basra city. I phoned him nervously asking him to save my family. Again with my wife, she said they will try to come inside through the windows, so she was continuous to shoot them and she asked me to teach her how to replace the magazine, I told her how she do that.

“Mohammed I hear the sounds of the policemen saying we are police” she phoned me. “OK let me ask Colonel Saleem about the names of his people perhaps it is a swindler” I told her.

But it was OK they are his people after checking with him. Then the police of Al Ashaar area arrived and they have done some investigations. By and large police arrived after 45 minutes from the beginning of the incident.

The militia were around 40 people, 25 around and inside the building but the others surrounded the area, they were dressed on black and military uniforms, some of them were trying to break the doors but the others disturbed the furniture of the rooms taking some English documents and my laptop.

I asked Colonel Saleem to take my wife and the children to his home to save them. At the time of writing those notes, militia returned back after the police left, they exploded the flat by grenades. When everything was resolved I found myself writing to you. Please, I hope to issue my story to the British public opinion to say this is what he does earn who served the British troops for more than 4 years. Where can I put my children to protect them.

I am so sorry about my writing because I am very nervous.

* British troops can, in fact, re-enter the city until it is granted provisional Iraqi control next month

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