The Iraq police were ordered by their own ministry of interior and other government departments to release the prisoners, they refused to do so ignoring commands from superiors. The police were believed to be working with terrorist and insurgent forces, this coming after the chief of police in iraq said he only trusted a 1/4 of his men.

The Iraqi police then continued to hand over the prisoners to a radical militia with weapons, the brigadier on the ground then decided that he must take action to save the soldiers life's.

A British light armoured warrior drove through the police wall and the iraqi's were then convinced to tell them where the prisoners were taken as above said this may have been helped by a 30mm Rarden cannnon.

The British then sent a rescue team to the location (a house in Basra) the men were successfully recovered. Both men were from 22 SAS the British army's elite special forces (believed by a great majority who have an unbiased view to be the worlds best trained force anywhere in the world.)