SCORES of Iraqi soldiers surrendered to British troops in the south of Iraq today, raising hopes that Iraqis all over the country will follow suit.Royal Marines securing oil installations at the Al Faw peninsular encountered the troops at around 5.
SCORES of Iraqi soldiers surrendered to British troops in the south of Iraq today, raising hopes that Iraqis all over the country will follow suit.
Royal Marines securing oil installations at the Al Faw peninsular encountered the troops at around 5.30am.
BBC correspondent Clive Myrie witnessed around 60 Iraqis emerge from their bunker positions with their hands up, waving white flags, before getting on their knees ready to be taken as prisoners of war by Royal Marines from the 40 Commando.
A makeshift detention centre will now be set up in the area where the PoWs will be given food, shelter and medical assistance.
It had been feared that Iraqi troops at Al Faw, just south of the city of Basra, would blow up the oil installations before either resisting or retreating.
Ecologically, this would have been disastrous as the waterways that flow from Al Faw would have carried oil and debris into the Arabian Gulf.
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