British Soldier Dies in Training Accident in Iraq
"The service person's family have been informed and have requested a period of grace before further details are released. Our thoughts and sympathies are with the family and friends at this sad time," the ministry said.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – A British soldier on Sunday died in Iraq following a training accident, the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defense (MoD) announced on Monday.
In a statement, the MoD said the service member's family had been informed and requested privacy before further details are made public.
"The service person's family have been informed and have requested a period of grace before further details are released. Our thoughts and sympathies are with the family and friends at this sad time," the ministry said.
UK Defense Secretary John Healey confirmed the death during an address to the House of Commons.
"I know the thoughts of the House will be with the family and with the unit at this desperately sad time," Healey said.
The circumstances surrounding the training accident have not been disclosed yet.
The United Kingdom continues to maintain a military presence in Iraq as part of the international coalition supporting Operation Shader, the UK's contribution to efforts aimed at preventing a resurgence of the Islamic State group.
British forces in Iraq are involved in training Iraqi and Kurdish security personnel in areas including weapons maintenance, counter-improvised explosive device (IED) techniques, medical support, and engineering. UK personnel also contribute to intelligence, surveillance, and strike operations conducted in coordination with partner forces.
No further information about the soldier or the incident has been released.