British soldier killed in training accident in Iraq, Ministry of Defence says

A British Army soldier has been killed in a training accident, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has said.

It happened in northern Iraq on Sunday.

"The service person's family have been informed and have requested a period of grace before further details are released," said the MoD.

Defence Secretary John Healey announced the death to the House of Commons on Monday.

"I know the thoughts of the house will be with the family and with the unit at this desperately sad time," said Mr Healey.

Some British personnel remain in the region as part of a coalition supporting Operation Shader, designed to prevent a resurgence of the Islamic State group.

The mission includes training local forces in areas such as weapons maintenance, counter-IED skills, and medical and engineering.

UK forces are also involved in intelligence and surveillance, as well as strike operations in support of partner forces.

In March, the government acknowledged a British drone had killed a "known Daesh terrorist" in Syria.

Sunday's incident follows the death of a Parachute Regiment soldier in a training accident in Ukraine in December.

Lance Corporal George Hooley, 28, was killed while watching the Ukrainian military test a new weapon away from the frontline, the MoD said.

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Another British man died in Ukraine last month.

Ayrton Redfearn, 23, from Devon, was killed in action in the eastern Donetsk region.

He had joined a specialist unit last year and his mother said on Facebook he was due to get an award for saving someone's life five days before his death.

It is not known if Mr Redfearn had any formal military experience before going to the country.

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