British soldier killed in Iraq, Ministry of Defence says
Wednesday, 26 Mar 2008 17:25
British soldier killed in Iraq
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A British soldier has been killed following a gun-battle in Iraq, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has announced.
The MoD said the soldier died during the early hours of this morning.
A spokesman explained the MoD would not reveal any further details of the unnamed soldier's death.
But he did reveal the soldier was not killed in Basra or the south-east of Iraq, where the majority of British troops are based.
He confirmed that the death was not linked in any way to violence between radical Shia Muslim cleric Moqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi army and Iraqi coalition troops in Baghdad and Basra.
"The soldier died as a result of gunshot wounds sustained during a firefight in the early hours of this morning," the original MoD statement said.
It continued: "The soldier's family have been informed, and have asked for privacy from the media as they come to terms with their loss.
"The MoD will not be providing any further updates in line with the wishes of the family, who are in our thoughts at this difficult time."