Jamiat police station in Basra was the headquarters of the force's Serious Crimes Unit which was suspected of committing serious crimes, including murder.

British forces, carrying out an ongoing operation against the unit, prepare explosives to destroy its base.

UK troops attached bar mines to the main structure points of Jamiat police station in Basra in an operation that began early on Christmas Day.

An Iraqi holds a copy of the Koran damaged with a bullet hole during the storming of the police station.

A massive blast puts the building out of action.

An Iraqi passes by the ruins of the station after it was stormed by more than 1,000 British troops, with helicopter and heavy armour support.

British troops load some of the prisoners rescued from the police cells onto trucks. There had been fears they were to be executed by Iraqi police.

A prison cell that held about 70 people at Jamiat police station. There was evidence that the prisoners had been tortured while being kept in captivity.