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Tuesday, 6 February 2007, 17:39 GMT

UK officer killed in Basra named

Jonathan Carlos Bracho-Cooke A British soldier killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq on Monday has been named as Second Lieutenant Jonathan Carlos Bracho-Cooke, 24, from Hove, Sussex.

The officer, from the 2nd Battalion The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment, was on a routine patrol when he was killed in the blast near Basra's US consulate.

He was due to be married in August. His family said they were devastated.

His death brings the total of UK troops killed in operations in Iraq to 131. A number of Iraqi civilians were injured.

Speaking from the family home in Hove, Lt Bracho-Cooke's father said his son's fiancée was very distressed.

Charismatic

"We are all devastated. We found out about it yesterday. Obviously we were told some hours after it happened," Jonathan Cooke said.

The explosion occurred near Basra's main waterway at about 0930 local time (0630 GMT).

A number of armoured Warrior vehicles were taking part in the patrol when the bomb was detonated, although it is not clear whether Lt Bracho-Cooke was inside or outside a vehicle at the time.

Second Lt Bracho-Cooke was described by his commanding officer as "bright, enthusiastic and charismatic".

Some 7,500 British troops are currently based in Basra.

BBC Baghdad correspondent Andrew North said: "Roadside bombs have been one of the most deadly threats the troops are facing down there and have claimed many lives.

"One of the reasons they are using the Warriors is because of this higher threat from roadside bombs."




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