Three UK black watch troops killed in Iraq

7.49am

LONDON - Three British soldiers sent to reinforce American troops near Baghdad have been killed, the British government has confirmed.

The deaths will cause political havoc for Prime Minister Tony Blair, who dispatched the troops north from the comparatively quiet British-patrolled sector of southern Iraq last month.

Critics have said the controversy surrounding the 30-day deployment would make the troops a tempting target for militants seeking to inflict a blow on British morale.

"I can confirm to the House that in an attack on British forces in the Black Watch area of operations we have suffered a number of casualties including three fatalities," junior Defence Minister Adam Ingram told Parliament.

Blair agreed to send about 850 troops, mainly from the Black Watch regiment, to dangerous areas near Baghdad late last month, allowing US troops to reinforce units fighting guerrillas in the Sunni Muslim city of Falluja and elsewhere.

- REUTERS

Herald Feature: Iraq