A car exploded near the main British military base in the Iraqi city of Basra this evening but there were no casualties, witnesses said.
The blaze, which was quickly extinguished, damaged two cars around 200 metres (yards) from the entrance to the base in the southern city, a Reuters reporter on the scene said. People took water from a nearby river to put out the fire.
Britain's Ministry of Defence confirmed that a blast had taken place near its headquarters at Iraq's second city.
