Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

British forces in southern Iraq are demanding that gunmen who killed six British soldiers Tuesday surrender within 48 hours.

British military officials made the demand Wednesday in a meeting with leaders of al-Majar al-Kabir, the town where the shootings took place.

Witnesses say the soldiers died in gunfights with local demonstrators. In the first incident, the demonstrators shot at British soldiers after the troops fired rubber bullets to try to control the crowd. The soldiers then retreated to the local police station, where they and the demonstrators traded more gunfire.

Residents were protesting what they considered to be invasive methods by British troops searching for heavy weapons in the area. Some residents said they were offended by soldiers entering private homes and searching through women's rooms.

Four Iraqis were reportedly killed and 14 others wounded in the shooting. Eight British troops were wounded when their helicopter came under fire during a rescue Tuesday in the same area.

The violence has prompted Britain to order an urgent review of troop numbers, tactics, and equipment for its forces in Iraq. British Defense Secretary Geoff Hoon says thousands of extra troops could be sent to the country, and that they may start wearing helmets and flak jackets like their American counterparts.

British forces who control the mainly Shi'ite region of southern Iraq have had relatively few problems since the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime in April.

American soldiers have faced almost daily attacks - mostly in Sunni Muslim dominated central and western Iraq. Sunnis were Saddam's strongest supporters. About 20 American soldiers have been killed in attacks since May first.

Meanwhile, the top U.S. administrator for Iraq, Paul Bremer, says sabotage is to blame for a power outage that has crippled most of Baghdad since Monday.

Speaking to reporters Wednesday, Mr. Bremer said members of the outlawed Baath Party were "almost certainly" behind the downed power lines. He said such groups "are trying to hinder the coalition's efforts to make life better for the average Iraqi person."

Some information for this report provided by AP and Reuters.