By IPS Correspondents
LONDON, Mar 25 2003 (IPS)

A British soldier from the 1st Battalion, The Black Watch, was killed in action late Monday in an operation near Az Zubayr, bringing the number killed in action to two, British military sources said today.

On Monday the first British death in action in the Iraq war was reported, also near Az Zubayr in southern Iraq.

The deaths bring to 18 the number of British service personnel to have died in the campaign to date, with the other 16 dying as a result of accidents or friendly fire.

The two-man crew of a British Tornado jet died when their aircraft was hit by a US Patriot missile while returning to Kuwait after a sortie over Baghdad early Sunday.

Two British Sea King helicopters collided in mid-air over the Gulf on Saturday, causing the deaths of seven air crew – six British and one US serviceman.

On Friday, eight British Royal Marines died when their US CH-46 Sea Knight helicopter crashed in northern Kuwait. The four-member US crew also perished.

In addition, two British soldiers have been reported missing near Basra.

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