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2 more arrests in UK Iraq abuse claims
 News of the World said eight British soldiers were part of the alleged attack. SPECIAL REPORT
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QUICKVOTEYOUR E-MAIL ALERTSLONDON, England (CNN) -- Two more people have been arrested in connection with video images apparently showing British soldiers savagely beating Iraqi teenagers, the Ministry of Defence said Tuesday. No further details were available from the ministry. The arrest brings to three the number of people detained since the video was made public Sunday by the News of the World, a British newspaper. The video -- which has since been broadcast worldwide, including on Arabic television -- shows a group of soldiers dragging Iraqi protestors behind a wall while a demonstration is under way, beating them with batons and kicking them. The News of the World said the alleged attack by eight soldiers, which followed a scene showing youths throwing stones at the soldiers, was videotaped in southern Iraq in early 2004. CNN has not confirmed the authenticity of the film. British Prime Minister Tony Blair has promised to investigate the allegations "We take seriously any allegations of mistreatment, and this will be investigated very fully indeed," Blair told reporters after a meeting of left-of-center leaders in South Africa. "But I have to say to you that the overwhelming majority of British troops in Iraq, as elsewhere, behave properly and are doing a great job. They are helping Iraqis to become the democracy they would like to be." The News of the World said the scenes, which lasted about two minutes, were videotaped by a corporal "for fun," apparently from a nearby rooftop. On the tape, the youths' pleas for mercy are ignored. The beatings include what appears to be a British soldier kicking one of the youths, shown pinned to the ground by other soldiers, in the genitals. In another case, a soldier puts a boy in a headlock, then releases him only to butt his head against the boy's, then strike his fist on the boy's head. The youth's cries can be heard on the tape, which shows a minute's worth of the attack -- with 42 blows counted, according to the newspaper. The tape includes what sounds like a running commentary of approval from the cameraman. "Oh yes! Oh yes! You're gonna get it. Yes, naughty little boys!" the narrator can be heard saying as the blows land. "Die! Ha, ha!" The News of the World said the video was shown to friends of the corporal in Europe, and one of them reported the incident to the tabloid newspaper. Allegations of mistreatment have been leveled at British troops before, but not on the scale of the abuse carried out by Americans against prisoners at Baghdad's Abu Ghraib jail in a scandal that shocked the world in 2004. Three British soldiers were jailed last year in a case brought after the publication of pictures taken in 2003 that showed Iraqi prisoners being beaten and forced to pose in sexually humiliating positions. But another set of photos, which appeared in the Mirror newspaper, proved to be a hoax. Copyright 2006 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report. 
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