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03-22-2004, 12:28 PM
UK troops hurt in Iraq blasts
Thirteen UK soldiers have been injured in two explosions in Basra, Iraq, on Monday, Armed Forces Minister Adam Ingram has told MPs.
Early reports suggest that none of the injuries is life-threatening, he said.
Mr Ingram delivered the news at the end of a statement on the deployment of British forces to Kosovo following a series of disturbances there.
"We have received preliminary reports of an incident involving British troops in Basra this morning," he said.
According to a Ministry of Defence official in Basra the incident took place at 1045 GMT and is not thought to be related to terrorist groups.
She said that three of the injured were seriously hurt.
Demonstration
The injured have been evacuated to the nearby Shaibah military hospital and their families are being informed.
The Ministry of Defence said the troops had been near a demonstration when they were targeted although there was no indication of a link between that and the explosions.
But Colonel Zafer Abdel-Nabi, chief of Basra customs police, said nine of those injured had been caught in the blast of a grenade thrown by a protester.
He said 500 demonstrators had been protesting at their failure to get jobs with the local customs police.
Demonstrators had thrown rocks, petrol bombs and the grenade at troops, who had used tear gas.
Yassin slogans
Some demonstrators reportedly shouted slogans supporting Saddam Hussein and protesting at Israel's killing of Hamas founder Ahmed Yassin in Gaza City.
Witnesses say they chanted: "We are all sons of Yassin."
In the Commons, shadow defence secretary Nicholas Soames asked that MPs be kept informed of any developments, describing the attack as "very anxious news".
On Kosovo, Mr Ingrams said 1,100 members of British forces were now deployed to help restore calm to the province.
They would conduct routine patrols, protect sites such as the UN mission and perform public order duties.
Still tense
Kosovo has experienced renewed unrest in recent days between ethnic Serbs and Kosovan Albanians.
On Monday, Kosovo is holding a day of mourning for the 28 victims killed in last week's violence.
Mr Ingram told MPs that the "situation appeared calmer although it is still tense".
He estimated newly deployed troops from Britain would stay there initially for a month.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/uk_politics/3558431.stm
Published: 2004/03/22 17:03:18 GMT
Thirteen UK soldiers have been injured in two explosions in Basra, Iraq, on Monday, Armed Forces Minister Adam Ingram has told MPs.
Early reports suggest that none of the injuries is life-threatening, he said.
Mr Ingram delivered the news at the end of a statement on the deployment of British forces to Kosovo following a series of disturbances there.
"We have received preliminary reports of an incident involving British troops in Basra this morning," he said.
According to a Ministry of Defence official in Basra the incident took place at 1045 GMT and is not thought to be related to terrorist groups.
She said that three of the injured were seriously hurt.
Demonstration
The injured have been evacuated to the nearby Shaibah military hospital and their families are being informed.
The Ministry of Defence said the troops had been near a demonstration when they were targeted although there was no indication of a link between that and the explosions.
But Colonel Zafer Abdel-Nabi, chief of Basra customs police, said nine of those injured had been caught in the blast of a grenade thrown by a protester.
He said 500 demonstrators had been protesting at their failure to get jobs with the local customs police.
Demonstrators had thrown rocks, petrol bombs and the grenade at troops, who had used tear gas.
Yassin slogans
Some demonstrators reportedly shouted slogans supporting Saddam Hussein and protesting at Israel's killing of Hamas founder Ahmed Yassin in Gaza City.
Witnesses say they chanted: "We are all sons of Yassin."
In the Commons, shadow defence secretary Nicholas Soames asked that MPs be kept informed of any developments, describing the attack as "very anxious news".
On Kosovo, Mr Ingrams said 1,100 members of British forces were now deployed to help restore calm to the province.
They would conduct routine patrols, protect sites such as the UN mission and perform public order duties.
Still tense
Kosovo has experienced renewed unrest in recent days between ethnic Serbs and Kosovan Albanians.
On Monday, Kosovo is holding a day of mourning for the 28 victims killed in last week's violence.
Mr Ingram told MPs that the "situation appeared calmer although it is still tense".
He estimated newly deployed troops from Britain would stay there initially for a month.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/uk_politics/3558431.stm
Published: 2004/03/22 17:03:18 GMT