April 04, 2008 10:54pm

A UN official says an estimated 700 people were killed in the fighting between Iraqi government forces and Shi'ite militiamen last week.
"The conflict of the last few days we estimate has claimed more than 700 lives - 700 people have been killed and more than 1500 wounded," UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq David Shearer said.

"That could increase as facts and the numbers become more clear."

The fighting was triggered by an Iraqi offensive against Shi'ite militias in the southern oil port of Basra, which set of a wave of clashes in other Shi'ite areas of the country.

Previous Iraqi government figures have said at least 461 people were killed and more than 1100 wounded in the unrest, which largely involved the Mehdi Army of powerful Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr.

Mr Shearer, who returned from Basra yesterday, did not elaborate on the UN figures, but said that "since the ceasefire two or three days ago the city has rapidly returned to normal".