British Troops In Iraq Hand Over Southern Province

(RFE/RL) April 18, 2007 -- British troops today formally handed over to Iraqi commanders security in the southern province of Maysan.

"Today, as the governor of Maysan Province and the Iraq security forces
take on responsibility for the security of its people, we are
demonstrating, once again, that the enemies of peace and democracy will
not succeed," the commander of British forces in Iraq, Major General Jonathan Shaw, said at the handover ceremony.

It is the fourth of Iraq's 18 provinces to be handed over to Iraqi command.

In a speech, read out at the ceremony, Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said Iraq plans to take security control of all its provinces from foreign forces before the end of the year.

In other news, at least 16 people were reported killed and 33 wounded in separate attacks today in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad.

Also, the U.S. military says its troops killed five Iraqis and detained some
30 others today during a raid in near the town of Karmah in Iraq's
western Al-Anbar Governorate.

(compiled from agency reports)