A British soldier has died after being wounded while on a routine patrol in southern Iraq, an army spokesman said.
The soldier, from Chindit Company, 2nd Battalion, the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment, was hit by small arms fire while outside his Warrior vehicle during a patrol in the al-Ashar area of Basra.
He was taken to the multi-national Basra Palace base, where he later died from his injuries.
Major David Gell, military spokesman in Basra, said: "We can confirm that a British soldier was shot while on patrol. He was evacuated to Basra Palace, but subsequently died of his injuries.
"He would have been stabilised by a team medic and evacuated straight away, but unfortunately the injuries the soldier sustained were not survivable. Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this difficult time."
The Ministry of Defence said the soldier's next of kin have been informed.
An MoD spokeswoman said: "It is with great sadness that we must confirm the death of a soldier from 2nd Battalion, the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment earlier today as a result of gunshot wounds sustained from an attack on a patrol in Basra."
The soldier's death takes the number of UK service personnel who have died since the start of hostilities in Iraq to 135, of which 104 were deaths in action.
It is the first military death in Iraq for four weeks.
Private Jonathon Dany Wysoczan, 21, from 4 Platoon, B Company, First Battalion, the Staffordshire Regiment, died on March 4 after being injured during a patrol in south Basra the previous week.
