Rockets fired at Black Watch base

The Black Watch battle group arrived at Camp Dogwood on Friday

Rockets have been fired at the base south of Baghdad used by British troops from the Black Watch battle group.

There were four explosions at the base, known as Camp Dogwood, early on Sunday but no-one was reported injured.

BBC correspondent Nick Springate, who is with the troops, said those in the base were busy filling sandbags to build up defences.

Two helicopters were patrolling the perimeter of the base, which also came under mortar fire on Saturday.

Soldier's death

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defence said a British soldier had been found dead at a military base in the southern city of Basra - the administrative centre for the 8,500 UK troops in the country.

The death is not believed to be the result of hostile action but brings the total number of fatalities among UK service personnel during military operations in Iraq to 70.

It comes days after Black Watch Private Kevin Thomas McHale, 27, from Fife, died as the Warrior armoured vehicle he was driving overturned during the preparations for the move north.

The 850-strong battle group led by the 1st Battalion The Black Watch moved into the base from southern Iraq on Friday, after a request from Washington.

The battle group includes three companies of armoured infantry from the 1st Battalion The Black Watch, with some 500 men and 50 Warrior armoured fighting vehicles.

They are accompanied by a reconnaissance unit from the largely-Welsh Queen's Dragoon Guards, with around 100 men and 12 Scimitar armoured vehicles, and a 50-strong Royal Marine light infantry unit from 40 Commando.

Basra attacks

Support troops include engineers, logisticians, signallers and medics.

The troops have come under attack every night since their arrival on Friday and on Saturday the Black Watch's commanding officer, Lt Col James Cowen, took part in reconnaissance patrols to survey the area around the camp.

Camps and vehicles in Basra have also been attacked overnight.

A roadside bomb exploded in the city centre as a Warrior vehicle escorting a four-tonne truck went past.

An Army spokesman said the lorry's windows had been blown out by the blast but the driver, who was from the Duke of Wellington's regiment, drove away from the scene.

The Multinational Division Headquarters at Basra's airport was attacked with rockets in the early hours of Sunday, but the two blasts failed to cause casualties or damage.

"None of the incidents caused any injuries and the only damage was to the windows of a vehicle. Army operations were not affected at all," Major Charles Mayo added.