Iraqi police say 36 people have been killed south of Baghdad. Hospital officials say Shiite militiamen and British forces, who while conducting house-to-house searches were involved in clashes in Amarah, 320 kilometers southeast of the capital.
It has yet to be determined how many of the casualties were militiamen, and how many were civilians. The U.S. military has reported that 20 militants were killed in a series of overnight raids. The British military has yet to comment on the reports.