Two Britons killed in British consulate convoy attack in Basra

July 30, 2005

It has been confirmed by a British consulate spokeswoman in Iraq that an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) attack on a British consulate convoy took place at 09:30 am local time.

The attack happened on the outskirts of Basra and is reported to have killed two British security contractors and wounded two Iraqi civilians.

The two British contractors were killed in the first blast that took place in close proximity to the vehicle they were in. According to the BBC World Affairs correspondent John Simpson, two Iraqi children were injured after a second explosion occurred while Iraqi civilians were attempting to help the convoy.

The nationality the two contractors was confirmed by their employers, Control Risks Group. At least one car was destroyed and British Army soldiers later arrived to secure the scene.