British soldier seriously wounded in Iraq

A British soldier was seriously wounded by small-arms fire today while on patrol in Basra, a military spokeswoman said.

Spokeswoman Capt Katie Brown did not give further details but said he was wounded in Basra’s central neighbourhood of Ashar at noon.

Basra is Iraq’s second largest city 340 miles south-east of the capital Baghdad.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair has announced that Britain will reduce its force in Iraq from 7,100 to 5,500 in the coming months.

Some 125 British personnel have died in Iraq since the US-led invasion four years ago.