A soldier serving in Iraq has been awarded £375,000 compensation for post-traumatic stress after witnessing the serious injury of a colleague.
The serviceman was with three other soldiers when an anti-tank missile went wrong and misfired, causing one of the soldiers to lose an arm.
The injured party is thought to have received substantial recompense while the other three claimed mental stress.
A Ministry of Defence spokesman said compensation was paid to the unnamed soldier because the incident in April 2003 did not take place while fighting the enemy.
The outcome of the two other claims has yet to be decided.
The payout is thought to be the first trauma-related compensation for a soldier in Iraq.
The defence spokesman said: "The MoD can confirm that £375,000 was paid to a soldier who witnessed a colleague being seriously injured when a 94mm light anti-tank rocket malfunctioned.
"The MoD is liable as the weapon was deficient and the accident occurred in a non-combat situation."
