Death of British soldier in Iraq under investigation

A British soldier has died in Iraq following an "incident" that is being investigated, the Ministry of Defense has confirmed, the Sky News reported.

The soldier had been serving with the 2nd Battalion the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment, the MoD said in a statement.

The death followed "an incident" that is "currently under investigation, but we can confirm that it was not as a result of enemy activity," the statement added.

Sky News Defense Correspondent Alistair Bunkall said there were few details about the death, which occurred in the town of Taji, northwest of Baghdad.

The British military has had a training and advisory operation in the area "for about the past year or so," he said.

"From that we can surmise that this soldier was there in a training capacity, as opposed to fighting Islamic State further north in Mosul, for example," he added.

The soldier's family has been informed and they have requested a period of grace before further information is released, the MoD said.

Source: MENA