British soldier killed in Basra
British soldier killed in Basra
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Sunday, 16, Jul 2006 08:33
One British soldier has been killed in the southern Iraqi town of Basra following an operation by coalition forces early this morning, with another soldier injured as a result.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed that both men came under attack from "small arms fire" from militants as part of a larger action to apprehend a suspected terrorist, with one soldier dying in hospital as a result of wounds sustained.
The injuries of the other soldier wounded in the attack are not thought to be life threatening.
A spokeswoman for the MoD said that the soldier's identity would not be revealed until his "next of kin had been informed".
However, a statement confirmed that two suspected terrorists had been taken into custody as a result of the army operation.
"An operation was conducted by multi-national forces in Iraq in the early hours of this morning to apprehend those associated with terrorist activities," the MoD said.
"We can confirm that as a result of this operation, two men suspected of involvement in serious crime and terrorism in the Basra province have been apprehended."
More than 100 UK soldiers have lost their lives in the surrounding area of Basra, with about 7,000 troops stationed in the region.
Last week Iraqi authorities assumed control of security concerns in the nearby province of al-Muthanna, the first time that such responsibilities have been handed over to the government since Saddam Hussein's regime was toppled by US-led coalition troops.
The UK defence secretary, Des Browne, hailed the handing over as a "milestone" for the people of Iraq.