In southern Iraq, the British Ministry of Defence says UK troops have quelled a co-ordinated attack by hundreds of militia loyal to radical Shi’ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr during the day.
Five members of Sadr's Mehdi Army were killed and nine British soldiers were wounded when gun battles erupted in both the city of Basra and the town of Amara further north.
The fighting started when armed supporters of al-Sadr began setting up barricades in an apparent attempt to seize control of the city of Basra.
In a separate incident, a Polish soldier has been killed in the central Iraqi town of Karbala.
It is thought four more Polish soldiers were wounded.
