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British troops in Basra are being urged to return to the front line and help their Iraqi counterparts in the battle against insurgents after two bombs in as many days left eight people dead and many more wounded.

Britain’s forces, however, insisted that the explosions were isolated incidents and the overall situation in Basra had become much calmer since they withdrew from their last stronghold inside the oil-rich city at the start of the month.

The latest bombing took place on Wednesday evening near the main gate of a Sunni mosque in the town of Abu al-Khaseeb, about 12 miles (20km) south of Basra, killing three Shia guards and two Sunni worshippers, police said. Five other prayer-goers were injured.

The attack came one day after a suicide car bomb exploded outside the police headquarters in Basra, leaving three police trainees dead and 17 wounded. Most policemen in the city are Shia Arabs.

A police spokesman in Basra said he feared an upsurge of al-Qaeda attacks. “Perhaps al-Qaeda members have now come to Basra,” he told The Times.

Southern Iraq, a majority Shia area, has so far largely escaped the mass suicide attacks carried out by the insurgent group in Baghdad and elsewhere.

The spokesman did not blame the spike in violence on the departure of British forces from the city. Instead, he said that the problem was infighting by politicians in Basra and Baghdad along with the influence of neighbouring countries. At the same time, the Iraqi police officer said: “The British military should support the Iraqi security forces and not just stay at their airport base.”

His appeal, which was echoed by other officials in the southern capital, poses a quandry for the 5,500-strong British military contingent, now based at Basra airport, a few miles outside the city.

Britain hopes that the situation in Basra will stay calm and allow the force to be reduced and eventually withdrawn once Iraqi security forces are strong enough to take over control of the province.

But until then Britain remains responsible for security in the province and if necessary would have to go back into the city to reinforce Iraqi security forces or take on militias or insurgents.

Last night neither the British military nor the Foreign and Commonwealth Office showed any enthusiasm for returning to the city, where they suffered most of their casualties.

“We would only go back into Basra if the Iraqi authorities asked us to,” said an FCO spokesman. “So far Iraqi officials have not asked for our assistance. If and when they need us we are prepared to go back in. They seem to be coping well.”

Local Iraqi officials in Basra suggested that they they did need help. Mohammed Bakher Dahosh, a manager at Basra Council, thought that the British could do more to help. “They have to support the Iraqi security forces and supply them with equipment and weapons to be able to control the situation,” Mr Dahosh said.

But he was optimistic that things would improve in the end. “If we work together we will overcome this crisis and stop these criminals.”

Adeel Thaher Ali, a lawyer living in the city, was less hopeful. He said that security in Basra had deteriorated since 500 British troops pulled out of Basra Palace and back to the airport as part of an ultimate goal to hand control of security to the Iraqi authorities, possibly by the end of the year.

“Many things changed . . . the withdrawal of the troops has given the terrorists a chance to attack the people,” Mr Ali, 50, said. “I want them to think again and try to help the security forces to protect Basra,” he said.

Major Mike Shearer, the British military spokesman in Basra, said that while Britain retained overall responsibility for security in the province it believed the Iraqi security forces were fully capable of handling Basra city. “We remain absolutely confident that they will manage that situation,” Major Shearer said. The bombings were “two isolated, unusual and tragic episodes”, he added. To focus too much on the attacks “would be an unfair representation of the overall situation in Basra, which has been relatively stable and much calmer than before we handed over Basra Palace”, said Major Shearer. However, British troops had the ability to go back into the city if the need ever arose.

Major-General Mohan al-Faraji, commander of Iraqi security operations in Basra, said that criminal activity had dropped 70 per cent in August and so far in September.

British soldiers continue to patrol key installations, help with border enforcement, and carry out work at Umm Qasr port to the south. One of their most important tasks is the training of the Iraqi police and army.

The capability of these forces is a central factor that will dictate when Britain is able to hand control of the province to the Iraqi authorities which will take London a step closer to further reducing its troop presence.

- The name of the police spokesman has not been given for security reasons.

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