British soldier killed at Basra base

A British soldier died after an army base in Iraq came under small arms fire, the Ministry of Defence said today.

The soldier, from the 2nd Battalion The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment, died as a result of fire on a coalition forces base in Basra, in the south of the country.

The MoD said there were no other casualties in the incident, which occurred at the base yesterday.

The family of the soldier, who has not yet been named, have been informed of the death, an MoD spokeswoman said.