British soldier killed near Camp Dogwood is identified

The British soldier who was killed near Camp Dogwood - the fourth in five days - following a bomb attack on a Black Watch armoured patrol has been named.

Private Pita Tukutukuwaqa, of the 1st Battalion The Black Watch, was killed instantly when his Warrior armoured vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb at around 9.30pm GMT yesterday evening.

Two other soldiers were injured in the incident, though neither are thought to have been seriously hurt. The pair were taken by US helicopter medevac team to a military hospital in Baghdad.

Private Tukutukuwaqa, 27, who was married and came from Fiji, joined The Black Watch in March 2001 and had served with the battalion in Kosovo and in Iraq last year.

Lieutenant Colonel James Cowan, commanding the 1st Battalion The Black Watch, said that Private Tukutukuwaqa, who was a "trained sniper and an outstanding sportsman", would be dearly missed by the regiment.

Col Cowan said that the battlegroup would now be changing its tactics to defend itself from the kind of attacks that have taken place so far.

Speaking in the House of Commons last night, Prime Minister Tony Blair offered his "profound condolences" to the families of the Black Watch soldiers.

He added: "We salute their dedication, professionalism and above all, sheer and undaunted courage. They are an example to us all and we can and should be very proud of them."

The Prime Minister said that despite recent losses Britain would "hold firm" and "be resolute" in the face of global terrorism. Victory for terrorists in Iraq would damage security round the world including here in Britain, he added.

Elsewhere, two British soldiers who were injured when their armoured Warrior vehicle was rammed by a suicide bomber near Camp Dogwood on Sunday are still being treated in Germany.

The army technical officers, who were on attachment with the Black Watch, were flown to Germany for treatment to serious injuries to their lower legs. They are said to be in a stable condition.

That attack came just three days after three soldiers from the 1st Battalion of the Black Watch regiment were killed in a suicide bomb attack close to the regiment's base of Camp Dogwood, 20 miles south the Iraqi capital Baghdad.

Sergeant Stuart Gray, 31, Private Paul Lowe, 19, and Private Scott McArdle, 22, were killed in the attack on the checkpoint they were manning. An Iraqi interpreter was also killed during the incident. The bodies of the three British soldiers are to be returned to the UK this week.

Video footage apparently showing the attack in which the Black Watch soldiers were killed has appeared on an Islamic website with a caption declaring the car bombing as a “martyrdom operation”.

(gmcg/sp)