Under a burning Basra sun, British troops on Sunday started what sources described as the final push to 'liberate' the second city of Iraq.

While the Americans established control of the Baghdad International Airport to the north, the British launched a series of probes aimed at testing the defences of Basra in the south.

Later, a full-fledged assault took place involving three units of the British army -- the 7th armoured brigade, 16^th air assault brigade and 3 commando.

They were backed by US-supplied Chinook helicopter gunships and British-made Challenger tanks and Warrior armoured carriers.

Until this weekend, the British had to move cautiously following stiff resistance from Iraqi forces in towns like Umm Qasr and Zubayr.

It was also the reaction of civilians, who did not know if the British and Americans were there to stay, that forced the coalition forces to hold back a bit.

Nevertheless, the British claimed to have marked up some real successes, including the arrest of an Iraqi major general, who was offered asylum in the West in return for intelligence.

British soldiers from the Irish Guards regiment, who controlled the access to Basra, said they were inquiring about the whereabouts of Saddam Hussein's cousin and a former governor of the town, Ali Hassan al-Majid, who is called 'Chemical Ali' because he ordered the use of chemical weapons on Kurds in 1988.

Chemical Ali's two bodyguards were shot dead two weeks ago and his spacious villa taken over by British forces.

Meanwhile, British military sources near Basra told rediff.com that their soldiers had penetrated as far as the Baghdad Street in the city centre on Sunday.

They said Iraqi soldiers were still offering some resistance and snipers were active.

One civilian, who identified himself as Walid Jameel, told rediff.com that Saddam's militiamen, who wanted to punish him for trying to leave Basra, had shot him in the leg and arm.

Jameel has been sent to a British military hospital for treatment, but many other civilians leaving the besieged city were being stopped and searched.

Those suspected of being ruling Ba'ath Party activists or members of Saddam's various militias were arrested and held with plastic restraints.

Most were being taken to Umm Qasr, where the British army has created a tented area with a capacity for holding up to 10,000 prisoners of war.

There was speculation in Britain that some detainees could be sent to Guantanamo Bay, the US detention centre, for interrogation.

British military sources said extra care was being taken in searching Iraqi prisoners because of fears of suicide attacks. But they also stressed that they were doing their best to provide ample facilities to those under interrogation.

Last week, International Red Cross officials were taken around the Umm Qasr detention centre, including the prayer, recreation and shower areas.

In Umm Qasr a new British army unit, The Pioneers, commanded by Lieutenant Peter Jones, had taken charge of local security. On arriving in the town last Sunday, Jones said he had appointed himself military governor. He told rediff.com that he would invite local notables to join his cabinet.

rediff.com Senior Editor Shyam Bhatia is the co-author of Saddam's Bomb, on Iraq's search for nuclear weapons.