WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Royal Marines have taken up strategic positions around Basra in southern Iraq as British forces take control of the city. The advance follows reports that a notorious Iraqi general was killed by an air strike on his home. CNN's Diana Muriel is with the British forces and has the latest from Basra.</s>DIANA MURIEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Senior ministry sources have confirmed to embedded journalists which military units in Basra that Chemical Ali -- General Ali Hassan al-Majeed -- the marshal in charge of the defense of southern Iraq, was killed in an attack three nights ago on a building in central Basra. In that building, a very senior meeting was taking place between Baath Party activists, close family members of Saddam Hussein believed to be three cousins, and Chemical Ali. His bodyguards' remains were found in the rubble immediately afterwards, but it has taken some time for the British military sources to confirm that Chemical Ali himself was killed in that raid. In the meantime, the British forces are hunting out through the city of Basra -- taking strategic positions and clearing their way to the city. They are finding huge ammunition dumps not only in military compounds but in other parts of the city, and they are disposing of those through controlled explosions. The citizens of Basra, in the meantime, are coming out to help themselves to what they can in the city. They're looting warehouses by the Shatalara (ph) waterway, to the north of the city -- warehouses that are said to contain the food from the food for oil programs. This is also widespread throughout the rest of the city. We've seen looters taking away office equipment -- even carpets. And the military compound in front of which I'm standing has also been comprehensively looted by Basran citizens. Diana Muriel, CNN, Basra, southern Iraq. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
British Forces Advance After Iraqi General Killed