28/06/2004

British soldier killed and two wounded in Basrah bombing

A British soldier has been killed and two others injured in a bomb attack in southern Iraq this morning.

An improvised explosive device detonated close to a British military convoy which was travelling through Basrah. The two wounded soldiers are receiving medical treatment, but the extent of their injuries is not yet clear.

The soldiers' identities have not been released as the next of kin are being informed, the MoD said.

Elsewhere, the Qatar-based Arabic news service Al Jazeera has broadcast pictures of a US Marine whom Iraqi militants claim they abducted from a US military base near Fallujah.

The blindfolded man, dressed in US military fatigues, has been identified in reports as Corporal Wassif Ali Hassoun of the First Marine Expeditionary Force. However, US authorities have not confirmed whether the Marine has been abducted.

According to Al Jazeera, the Islamic Retaliation Movement/Armed Resistance Wing claimed they captured the Marine after "infiltrating a US base".

The group has called for the release of Iraqi prisoners, threatening to behead their hostage if their demand is not met.

(gmcg)

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