SAS man victim of Iraq revolt

Iraqi insurgents have killed an SAS soldier as battles continue to rage in Baghdad and Basra.

The Ministry of Defence, who do not comment on the actions of special forces, confirmed only that a soldier had been shot dead in the Iraqi capital.

The unnamed man's death was reported on Wednesday but he was not immediately identified as an SAS soldier.

He is the first British casualty for a month and his death brings the death toll of British troops in Iraq to 176.

Most of Britain's 4,300 soldiers are based at the airport near the southern city of Basra but SAS troops play a less well-publicised role fighting alongside American and Iraqi government forces across the troubled country.

US President Bush has praised the Iraqi authorities for cracking down on what he called "criminal elements" - supporters of the anti-American Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, who have been blamed for sparking the worst violence since Saddam Hussein was toppled in 2003.

He said Britain was not to blame for a major rebellion in Basra despite Gordon Brown's decision to hand control of the city back to the Iraqi military last year.

Explosions could be heard every ten or 15 minutes in Basra as the government cracked down on Sadr's supporters on Thursday.

More than 100 people have been killed and hundreds wounded in clashes that have divided Iraq's majority Shi'ite community.

Basra's police chief survived an assassination attempt overnight but a roadside bomb killed three of his bodyguards.

The authorities have imposed curfews across Iraq but the unrest has spread to Baghdad, with hundreds of Sadr followers gathering for demonstrations to demand the resignation of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.

Britain has an estimated 200 troops still on duty in the Iraqi capital and 4,100 soldiers in Basra.

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