NZ military base hit by mortar fire in Iraq

6.30pm

A military base housing 61 New Zealanders in Iraq has been hit by a mortar attack, injuring some British forces and damaging a building.

Fortress Lines near Basra was struck by a mortar round in the early hours of the morning, about midday New Zealand time, Commander Sandy McKie of the Defence Ministry told NZPA.

The New Zealand Defence Force contingent shares the heavily fortified base with engineers from the British Army and there were reports of British troops injured.

No New Zealanders had been hurt.

"We can confirm our people are safe and well," she said.

It was the first mortar attack on the base but there were no plans to evacuate troops.

"The security situation is being constantly monitored and there is no talk of that."

Contact with the base was difficult and there was no information to hand about who had fired at the base or from where. Details of the injuries were unavailable, Cdr McKie said.

A portable cabin used by the New Zealanders had been damaged in the attack.

Heavy fire was a fact of life in the war-torn region: "It is a high risk area... Our people are aware of that."

In April the base went into "lockdown" after a series of simultaneous car bombs rocked the southern Iraqi city, killing at least 40 people.

Troops were previously confined to base over Easter, when Iraqi militants seized a number of foreign hostages and violence intensified against coalition forces.

The contingent is mainly made up of army engineers and support personnel from the Linton base near Palmerston North. Two were from the air force and one from the navy.

They have been carrying out post-war reconstruction work in the beleaguered city, restoring water supplies and rebuilding bridges across the Tigris River.

- NZPA