Iraq's prime minister today announced plans to recruit 10,000 security personnel for Basra even as he claimed that his widely criticised military assault on Shia militants in the southern city last week had been a “success”.

Nouri al-Maliki’s announcement that the police and army presence in Basra would be bolstered was tied to a pledge that no one would be arrested without a warrant from the judiciary, a concession to the Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr.

Sadr’s Madhi army repulsed the assault on their strongholds in the city by government troops last week.

The attack sparked violence across southern and central Iraq, resulting in at least 200 deaths.

While the Madhi army has adopted a lower profile, it has not been forced to disarm as Mr Maliki originally insisted.

In the wake of Mr Sadr’s declaration, Mr Maliki has had to assemble a more humble approach to the city.

The recruitment of extra security forces, many of whom will inevitably be Sadr supporters, was presented as part of a seven-point plan to improve conditions in Basra, which included measures to improve public services in the dilapidated and war-ravaged second city.

Despite the backing of President George W Bush, who called the Basra campaign a defining moment for Iraq, Mr Maliki emerged from the fighting as a diminished figure.

A US embassy official in Baghdad told the Wall Street Journal that Sadr had proved his standing as the most powerful politician in Iraq.

“There is no doubt in my mind whatsoever that Sadrists would win across the south,” the official said.

The Iranian-backed cleric issued a triumphant message today, praising his armed fighters for obeying his call to leave the streets on Sunday.

“Peace be upon the mujahideen who did not leave a safe place for the enemies, ” the statement said.

“I am encouraging you and appreciate your efforts in facing the highest number of enemies.

At the same time, I offer my condolences to the Iraqi martyrs and I ask God to heal the wounded.”

Fighting in Basra and Sadrist strongholds in Baghdad pushed up the civilian death toll in Iraq by almost one third last month, according to figures compiled by government ministries.

A total of 923 civilians were killed in March, up 31 per cent from February.

But Iraq as a whole was much less violent than it was a year ago, with many Sunni communities now co-operating with the US military under its “surge” policy.

Twice as many civilians were killed during March 2007.

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