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Three British soldiers killed in action in southern Iraq | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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BAGHDAD (AP)- Three British soldiers were killed early on Saturday during hostile action in southern Iraq, the British command said.

The clash occurred in the southern city of Amarah, located in Maysan province north of Basra, the British command said.

&#34We can cofirm that three soldiers from South Force Maysan have died from injuries sustained in hostile action in the early hours of Saturday morning,&#34 a British spokesman said on customary condition of anonymity.

He said more details would be released later.

British losses have been far fewer than those suffered by the larger U.S. force, which is bearing the brunt of the fight against Sunni Arab insurgents in northern, western and central Iraq.

Britain”s force is largely based in the mostly Shiite southern Iraq, where support for the Shiite-led government in Baghdad is stronger.

Last November, three British soldiers were killed in a suicide vehicle bombing at a checkpoint in the &#34triangle of death&#34 of south-central Iraq. British soldiers were temporarily send to the volatile area to reinforce the Americans who were besieging the Sunni insurgent stronghold of Fallujah at the time.