This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/uk/6678533.stm
The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Version 0 | Version 1 |
---|---|
Convoy attackers kill UK soldier | |
(30 minutes later) | |
A British soldier has died after the convoy he was travelling in came under attack in southern Iraq. | |
The soldier's vehicle had been part of a resupply convoy in the Al-Tuwaysa district of central Basra, the Ministry of Defence said. | |
The soldier was evacuated to Basra Palace, but died of injuries sustained in the small arms fire attack. | |
In a separate attack involving the same resupply convoy, a civilian driver died when a fuel tanker caught fire. | |
Television pictures showed jubilant Iraqis celebrating in the aftermath. | |
Major David Gell, a British army spokesman in Basra, said he was unable to confirm reports that Iraqis had dragged the civilians driver's corpse away from the burning truck and danced around it, flashing victory signs at press photographers. | |
"Some of the circumstances of events are still a little unclear," he said. | |
Deadliest month | |
A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: "It is with deep sadness that the Ministry of Defence must confirm that a UK soldier has died as a result of wounds that he sustained in an incident in the Al Tuwaysa district of central Basra. | |
"The soldier was injured during an attack on the resupply convoy to an MNF base that he was travelling in. | |
"The soldier was evacuated to Basra Palace for treatment, but sadly he later died of his wounds. | |
"A fuel tanker was also set on fire and was blown over. As a result of this a civilian driver was sadly killed." | |
The soldier's death brings to 149 the number of British troops killed in Iraq since the invasion in March 2003. | |
April was the deadliest month for British soldiers since the first month of the war, with 11 troops killed. |