Bomb Kills Two Britons Riding in Iraq Convoy
A roadside bomb blew up beside a British Consulate convoy Saturday in the southern Iraqi city of Basra, killing two Britons working for a private security firm, a consular spokeswoman and the company said.
The victims were security contractors employed by Control Risks Group and both were British citizens, said Peter Stevenson, a spokesman for the London-based company.
“Although anyone working in Iraq is well aware of the dangers involved, it in no way diminishes the sadness we feel for the two men who have died today,” Richard Fenning, chief operating officer of Control Risks Group, said in a statement.
Karen McLuskie of the consulate said the convoy was attacked in the southwestern part of Basra, Iraq’s second-largest city, 275 miles southeast of Baghdad.
Television footage showed a dark blue sport-utility vehicle with smashed paneling and blood on a side window. Iraqi police and British forces were at the scene.
Two Iraqi children were seriously wounded when a second device exploded five minutes after the convoy was targeted, said police Capt. Mushtaq Kadim.
Britain has about 8,500 troops in Iraq, mostly in the south. Its military headquarters is in Basra, and its consulate there has about 20 employees.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
