Meanwhile in Basra, a British Army helicopter was shot down killing up to five soldiers. After the helicopter crashed, a crowd of over 300 Iraqis celebrated at the crash scene. Iraqi police said five Iraqis including a child were killed after British forces opened fire on the crowd which had been hurling stones and Molotov cocktails at the soldiers. The fighting marked the most intense anti-British riots in Basra since August of 2003.