BASRA, Iraq, March 25 (Reuters) - Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki was in the southern oil hub of Basra on Tuesday to oversee a military operation, the British military said.

British military spokesman Major Tom Holloway gave no details but earlier on Tuesday heavy fighting erupted in Basra and an Iraqi military official said an operation had begun to "cleanse" the city of armed groups.

(Writing by Ross Colvin)

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