▁Police ▁soldiers ▁from ▁ 1 5 6 ▁Prov ost ▁Company ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 6 ▁Air ▁Ass ault ▁Brigade ▁were ▁assault ed ▁and ▁killed ▁by ▁an ▁Ira qi ▁mob ▁number ing ▁several ▁hundred ▁at ▁a ▁police ▁station ▁in ▁Maj ar ▁al - K ab ir . ▁The ▁town ▁was ▁known ▁for ▁band it ry ▁and ▁law less ness , ▁the ▁people ▁there ▁ins isted ▁that ▁they ▁had ▁liber ated ▁themselves ▁from ▁Ba ' ath ist ▁party ▁occupation ▁and ▁did ▁not ▁want ▁coal ition ▁troops ▁there , ▁British ▁tact ics ▁in ▁swe eping ▁for ▁weapons ▁anger ed ▁the ▁population . ▁Some ▁of ▁the ▁soldiers ▁were ▁shot ▁and ▁others ▁be aten ▁to ▁death . ▁A ▁couple ▁of ▁days ▁after ▁the ▁incident , ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁G ▁squad ron ▁arrived ▁in ▁the ▁town ▁to ▁conduct ▁Operation ▁J ocal ▁to ▁find ▁those ▁responsible , ▁they ▁then ▁gathered ▁intelligence ▁on ▁who ▁was ▁responsible ▁and ▁with d rew ▁from ▁the ▁town ▁under ▁fire ▁by ▁armed ▁Ira q is , ▁however ▁British ▁military ▁command ers ▁disc ou rag ed ▁the ▁S AS ▁from ▁going ▁back ▁in ▁and ▁arrest ing ▁those ▁responsible . ▁ ▁Operation ▁Par ado x ical , ▁was ▁author ised ▁in ▁the ▁summer ▁of ▁ 2 0 0 3 ▁and ▁last ed ▁until ▁winter ▁of ▁that ▁year ▁when ▁the ▁S AS ▁were ▁placed ▁under ▁the ▁command ▁of ▁the ▁Chief ▁of ▁J oint ▁Oper ations ▁in ▁North wood . ▁The ▁broad ly ▁drawn ▁operation ▁was ▁for ▁the ▁S AS ▁to ▁h unt ▁down ▁thre ats ▁to ▁the ▁coal ition