Special report: Tension escalates in Iraq     

    BASRA, Iraq, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi security forces have captured four wanted criminals during search operations in the city of Basra on Friday, a local police source said.

    During the operations which were carried out in different neighborhoods of Basra, the forces captured four wanted men accused of conducting terrorist and criminal activities in the city, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

    Earlier, Captain Chris Ford, the spokesman of the Multi-National Force(MNF) in Iraq told Xinhua that British and Iraqi troops have started on Friday seven-day joint operations aimed at chasing and preventing extremists from conducting attacks against civilians and Iraqi security forces in the al-Lateef area, some 15km north of Basra.

    Recently, Basra, 550 km south of Baghdad, was the scene of fierce clashes between Shiite militias and U.S.-backed Iraqi security forces after the latter launched a massive offensive, dubbed "Operation Cavalry Assault" aimed at restoring order in the city where instability was spreading.