British soldier killed by roadside bomb in Iraq

A roadside bomb has killed one British soldier and wounded three others in southern Iraq, an Army spokesman said.

The troops were travelling in an armoured personnel carrier about three miles (5km) south-east of Basra when the device went off.

They had been carrying out routine duties when the incident happened at around 1pm local time, the spokesman said.

He said: "Four soldiers were injured initially. They were extracted to a medical facility and one of the soldiers sadly died whilst they were having medical treatment."

One of the three injured soldiers is said to be in a critical condition.

The Army spokesman, speaking from Basra, said that next of kin were being informed about the incident. More details would be released "with time, but not yet," he said.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) also released a statement. It said: "We can confirm that there has been a roadside bomb attack on a Multi National Forces patrol south east of Basra City that has resulted in the death of one British soldier.

"Three other soldiers have also been injured, one of whom is described as critical. The injured soldiers have been medically evacuated to a field hospital by helicopter and are receiving the best possible medical care in theatre."

Britain has about 7,500 troops in Iraq, based mostly in Iraq's second-largest city of Basra.

This latest death comes just days after that of Second Lieutenant Jonathan Carlos Bracho-Cooke - the 100th British serviceman to die in action in Iraq. Second Lieutenant Bracho-Cooke, of the 2nd Battalion The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment, was killed after a roadside bomb hit a routine patrol in Basra.