One casualty of the fighting in Basra is likely to be the British plan to draw down its troops in southern Iraq, officials said.

The British government had planned to cut its force to 2,500. There are now 4,100 British soldiers based outside Basra.

Any plans for a reduction of British troops is off the table for the time being, a senior source in the Defense Department told The Times of London.

British Defense Secretary Des Brown is expected to report to Parliament next week that any reduction in force will be delayed for at least several months.

British bombers flew over Basra firing warning shots Friday. A Scots Guards battle group was on alert but remained at its base because the Iraqi government did not ask for help from British ground troops.

The British occupied Basra after the 2003 invasion. The British military handed over responsibility for the city to the Iraqi government last year.

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