Seven British soldiers injured in southern Iraq

Seven British soldiers were wounded today in Basra, five in a car crash and two in a rocket attack, a military spokeswoman said.

The five injured in the car crash were in a vehicle that was hit from the rear by a civilian car.

The rocket attack targeted a British base at Basra Palace, wound two others, said Capt Katie Brown.

The rocket attack came two days after a roadside bomb struck a British army patrol, killing one solider and wounding four others.

The Basra Palace was hit by several rockets last Thursday wounding six soldiers.

Britain, which has the largest troop contingent among the US allies, with about 7,000 soldiers in the Basra area, is planning to withdraw a large portion of them this year.