WELLINGTON, May 10 (Xinhuanet) -- New Zealand troops in Iraq's second biggest city Basra are confined to barracks after fresh fighting broke out on Saturday between embattled rebel Iraqi cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and British forces, The Dominion Post reported Monday.

    Defense spokesman Lieutenant Commander Andrew Lincoln was quoted as saying Sunday that all New Zealand troops were safe and well and would remain at their base until further notice.

    At least two Iraqis were killed and three British soldiers wounded in Saturday's fighting, a British military spokeswoman said.

    The 61 NZ army engineers were sent to Iraq's southern area of Basra to help rebuilding schools and water plants and other humanitarian aid.

    Meanwhile the Green Party at the Parliament has urged the New Zealand government to pull its troops out of Iraq.

    Green MP Keith Locke said in a statement Sunday that the government could no longer ignore the fighting and other incidents taking place in Basra.

    "New Zealand's good name internationally is being sullied by our troops being embedded in a British force that is being increasingly discredited by reports of brutality towards Iraqis," Locke said.

    More reports and photos of British soldiers mistreating prisoners were published in Britain Sunday.

    Locke said the negatives about the troops remaining in Iraq now clearly outweighed the positives. Enditem