WHEN army commanders witnessed a mob converging on Basra’s main prison threatening revenge on two British soldiers imprisoned inside, they dared not leave the men in Iraqi police custody overnight.

A rescue mission was hastily put together to free the undercover soldiers without causing injury to the local police inside.

Armoured vehicles had already sealed off the roads leading to the police headquarters to keep away protesters and prevent local reinforcements reaching their Iraqi colleagues locked inside.

After a day of worsening violence that reportedly left two Iraqis dead, three British soldiers seriously injured with burns and dozens of local demonstrators hurt, senior commanders realised they had to get back their men.

One military source said last night: “We believed that we had no other option”. He added: “The safety of our two soldiers was our priority. The ferocity of the earlier clashes showed how determined some local groups were to get their hands on these two men.”

Senior officers are sure the mob was being orchestrated by insurgent leaders in Basra who were demanding the release of three influential figures from their militia.

The concern was that a vigilante mob would try to overcome the police guarding the Britons and seize the two prisoners who could have been held as hostages to exchange for their imprisoned leaders. Basra’s police chief has reportedly claimed that his own force has been infiltrated by militiamen.

While a rescue was being plotted, senior officers were also in negotiations with local police to hand over the two Britons, reminding the Iraqis they had no legal right to hold onto the soldiers.

Last night there was some dispute as to whether the soldiers were handed over or rescued.

The show of force by British troops would have allowed the Iraqis to save face by claiming they had no option but to release their captives.

The Ministry of Defence claimed last night that a wall of the prison was knocked down “by accident” in a manoeuvre by the armoured unit, though the governor of Basra described the Army’s behaviour as “barbaric”.

“A British force of more than 10 tanks backed by helicopters attacked the central jail and destroyed it. This is an irresponsible act,” Mohammed al-Waili said.

While he and other officials said that the British raid made use of tanks, it was not clear whether the vehicles were Challenger 2 main battle tanks or Warrior infantry fighting vehicles. Both are used by British forces in Iraq.

The British would have realised that extricating their own men would also mean freeing other prisoners.

Local reports suggest that the British rescue force made no attempt to prevent the escape of the other captives.

Commanders will realise that last night’s raid will only inflame tensions in the area. Troops going out on patrol had been warned to expect more trouble in Iraq’s second city after three days of skirmishes.

Army convoys were given additional protection and all but the most necessary patrols in the centre of Basra were cancelled.

This order did not include undercover operations by special forces, which have been intensifying their hunt for terrorist leaders.

A British commander, Brigadier John Lorimer, of the 12th Mechanised Brigade, had given warning that if local police were prevented from “bringing criminals to justice” then the Army would do so.

Special forces are understood to have been targeting a number of well-known figures in the city.

Two of this undercover team were in an unmarked car, reportedly wearing Arab robes and headdress.

Muhammad al-Abadi, an official in Basra, claimed last night that the two were driving fast and aroused the suspicious of police who were manning a checkpoint on the edge of the city.

“A policeman approached them and then one of these guys fired at him. Then the police managed to capture them,” Mr al-Abadi said.

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