British soldier killed in clash with Basra militants.

Byline: LOUISE BARNETT

ONE British soldier was killed and another injured during a conflict with militia forces yesterday in the southern Iraqi city of Basra, a British Army spokesman said.

The two men were involved in an incident involving supporters of radical Shi'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.

Major Ian Clooney, British Army spokesman in Basra, said the dead soldier's name and age would not be released until his next of kin had been informed.

The second soldier suffered non-life threatening injuries and is receiving medical treatment, Major Clooney added.

Speaking from the British Army base just outside Basra, Major Clooney said: ``There have been a number of incidents this evening in Basra where British forces have been attacked by insurgents.

``The exact details of the attacks are not yet known but one British soldier has regrettably been killed and another injured. ''

He added that the exact details regarding the casualties will not be released until the next of kin have been informed. '' The militia reportedly used rifles, machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades during the attack.

Pockets of violence were reported in several areas of Basra from the afternoon.

Al-Sadr militants earlier attacked a pair of civilian cars reportedly carrying foreigners destroying the vehicles and injuring two people, said police Colonel Kareem Sadkhan.

He said those inside the vehicle, possibly Britons, exchanged fire with the militants, wounding one and a bystander.

Squadron Leader Spike Wilson, a British military spokesman, reported that three British civilian vehicles were damaged in a roadside bomb attack in Basra, but he could not confirm the nationalities of the occupants.

Sq Ldr Wilson said he had no reports of injuries.

The violence came as an Iraq delegation from a national conference in Baghdad was flown into besieged Najaf to present al-Sadr with a peace proposal.

The move was aimed at ending a violent insurgency wracking the holy city.

But, despite the delegation's arrival, fighting intensified, with at least one US warplane dropping bombs near the city's sprawling cemetery, the site of recent clashes between American forces and Shi'ite militants.

Yesterday's incident takes the number of deaths of British service personnel sent to Iraq to 65.

An Mo D spokesman in London said the deceased soldier's family would be contacted as soon as possible.

``We extend our sympathies to the families of all those who are killed or injured.

``We shall be making every effort to contact them as soon as possible, '' he said.

CAPTION(S):

An American soldier in the fierce battle for Iraq's holy city of Najaf