▁peace fully ; ▁six ▁British ▁soldiers ▁were ▁later ▁killed ▁by ▁Ira q is ). ▁Several ▁Ira q is , ▁reported ly ▁un ar med , ▁were ▁shot ▁in ▁anti - Al liance ▁demonstr ations , ▁mostly ▁in ▁the ▁nation ' s ▁Sun ni ▁Arab ▁areas . ▁While ▁Sh i ' a ▁Muslim ▁areas ▁were ▁mostly ▁peace ful , ▁Ay atol lah ▁Say ed ▁Moh ammed ▁Ba q ir ▁al - H ak im , ▁who ▁returned ▁to ▁Ira q ▁after ▁dec ades ▁in ▁ex ile ▁shortly ▁after ▁the ▁occupation ▁began , ▁said : ▁" We ▁are ▁not ▁afraid ▁of ▁the ▁British ▁or ▁American ▁troops . ▁This ▁country ▁wants ▁to ▁keep ▁its ▁so vere ig nt y ▁and ▁the ▁forces ▁of ▁the ▁coal ition ▁must ▁leave ▁it ." ▁Co al ition ▁forces ▁denied ▁the ▁accus ations ▁of ▁target ing ▁un ar med ▁civ ili ans . ▁They ▁said ▁they ▁were ▁fired ▁upon ▁and ▁were ▁returning ▁fire . ▁ ▁The ▁violent ▁ins ur gency ▁began ▁shortly ▁after ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 3 ▁In vas ion ▁of ▁Ira q ▁and ▁increased ▁during ▁the ▁occupation . ▁Origin ally , ▁the ▁ins urg ents ▁target ed ▁the ▁coal ition ▁force ▁( a ▁majority ▁of ▁whom ▁are ▁from ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁and ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom ) ▁and ▁the ▁inter im ▁government ▁( e . g ., ▁the ▁Co al ition ▁Pro vis ional ▁Author ity ) ▁formed ▁under ▁the ▁occupation . ▁The ▁ins ur gency ▁grew ▁during ▁the ▁period ▁between ▁the ▁invasion ▁of ▁Ira q ▁and ▁the ▁establishment