A soldier from 3rd Battalion The Parachute Regiment passes a monument to Saddam Hussein during a patrol in Basra, April 2003

Digital photograph taken by WO2 Giles Penfound, Army Media Operations, Operation TELIC, 7 April 2003.

The invasion of Iraq began on 20 March 2003 and within four days British troops had taken Basra's airport, despite encountering significant Iraqi resistance. They soon began expanding their area of control into the surrounding region. By 6 April, British Commanders judged that conditions were right to enter Basra itself in strength. They launched assaults from three directions, encountering only patchy resistance, and stormed the Ba'ath Party headquarters. In the days that followed British troops patrolled the city to prevent any further enemy opposition.