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http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0...210836,00.html

100th British Casualty
Updated: 16:05, Tuesday January 31, 2006



A British soldier has been killed in an explosion in Iraq, the 100th member of the armed forces to die since the start of the war in the country in 2003.

The Ministry of Defence said that three other soldiers were injured, one seriously, in the blast in Basra province.

An MoD spokeswoman said: "We can confirm that today a British soldier from the 7th Armoured Brigade died from his injuries sustained as a result of an explosion at approximately 8.34am local time at Um Qasr, Basra Province.

"Three other soldiers were injured, one seriously, in the same incident and are receiving medical treatment at Shaibah medical facility. The incident is under investigation."

The spokeswoman said further details would be released once next of kin had been informed.

The death comes a day after another soldier died after coming under fire in the southern Maysan Province.

Defence Secretary John Reid said the deaths were a matter of "great sadness not only for their own families but for the armed forces and the nation".

He said it was an appropriate time to reflect on the "dedication, courage, professionalism and sacrifice" of the armed forces and their families.

Tony Blair's spokesman said the Prime Minister was "deeply saddened" by the latest deaths.

He said: "His thoughts and those of the Government are with the families. No life is worth this kind of sacrifice.

"But in terms of why we are in Iraq, we have had now three democratic elections in a country which has been brutalised for decades.

"It's a tough struggle to make progress, particularly because there are those determined to stop democracy in Iraq.

"But the Prime Minister believes it is worth persevering with that struggle because we are making progress."

Of the British personnel who have died since March 2003, 77 are classed as having been killed in action, while 23 have died from illness, non-combat injuries, accident or an unknown cause.

More than 2,200 American service personnel have died since the start of the conflict, while an unknown number of Iraqis have died.

Iraq Body Count, a London-based group which opposes the war and which compiles data from official reports, estimates that as many as 31,891 Iraqi civilians have died since March 2003.

unwelcome milestone