Posted on 03/01/2006 10:10:46 AM PST by Brit_Guy
Two British soldiers killed by a roadside bomb in Amara, southern Iraq, have been named as Private Lee Ellis, 23, and Captain Richard Holmes, 28. Both were members of the Second Battalion The Parachute Regiment.
Pte Ellis, of Wythenshawe, Manchester, was described as "bright, enthusiastic and immensely popular". He leaves a fiancee Sarah and a daughter Courtney.
Capt Holmes, of Winchester, Hampshire, married wife Kate shortly before leaving for Iraq in October 2005.
A third soldier was injured in Tuesday's blast, which brought the number of British troops killed in Iraq to 103.
About 8,900 UK personnel are stationed in Iraq, mainly in the south-east of the country.
Pte Ellis and Capt Holmes' deaths came amid heightened tensions between British troops and local Iraqis.
Two regional councils have suspended relations with British forces after a video of soldiers appearing to abuse Iraqi civilians in Amara came to light.
Last month Lance Corporal Allan Douglas, 22, from Aberdeen, was killed by small arms fire while on patrol in the city - in Maysan province north of the main British base at Basra.
On 16 July 2005 three soldiers - Second Lieutenant Richard Shearer, Private Leon Spicer and Private Phillip Hewett of C Company, The 1st Battalion Staffordshire Regiment - were killed when an explosion hit a patrol of three armoured Land Rovers in the city.
*cough* Iranian-backed shi'ite malitia *cough*
My sympathy to these 2 of our fine allies, the British.
May God bless and protect them.
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