The British servicewoman killed in a missile attack on Camp Taji in Iraq has named by the The Ministry of Defence
Lance Corporal Brodie Gillon, 26, along with two American troops, was killed when 15 small rockets hit the military camp to the north of capital Baghdad on Wednesday.
A further dozen people were wounded in what Prime Minister Boris Johnson described as an ‘abhorrent attack’.
LCpl Gillon had served as a Reserve with the Scottish and North Irish Yeomanry, who specialise in reconnaissance and gathering intelligence on enemy targets and local environments.
Lance Corporal Brodie Gillon, 26, has been named by the Ministry of Defence as the servicewoman who was killed in a rocket attack on Camp Taji, near Baghdad, Iraq
She joined the Armed Forces in September 2015 as a Combat Medical Technician, and had been working as a sports therapist in Scotland while not on duty. She qualified as a Class 1 Combat Medical Technician in 2018.
The reservist was killed while volunteering as part of the Irish Guards Battle Group during their deployment to Iraq, the MoD confirmed.
Her commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel William Leek, Commanding Officer Scottish and North Irish Yeomanry, said: ‘LCpl Brodie Gillon was a hugely popular character in the Scottish and North Irish Yeomanry and we are proud and humbled to have served with her in our ranks.
‘She was a larger than life soldier who was determined to deploy on operations, help others, develop herself and gain practical experience.
‘She had already achieved a great deal in her relatively short time with us and it was abundantly clear that she was destined for great things in her civilian and military careers. Her loss is keenly felt.
‘My deepest condolences go to her family and loved ones. They are in my thoughts and prayers, and those of the wider Regimental family.’
US soldiers walk around at the Taji base complex in Iraq which hosts Iraqi and US troops (pictured in 2014)
Army Colonel Myles Caggins, the Operation Inherent Resolve spokesperson retweeted these images of rocket launchers yesterday when confirming the attack on Taji base in Iraq
US officials last night said it was too early to assign blame, but any indication that Iran-backed militia were responsible could ignite a new round of military escalation between the United States and Iran.
In a tribute earlier today, Boris Johnson said: ‘It is with deep sadness that I learned that a UK soldier was killed in the attack at the Taji military base last night. My thoughts go out to their loved ones at this extremely difficult time.
‘Our servicemen and women work tirelessly every day to uphold security and stability in the region – their presence makes us all safer.
‘The Foreign Secretary has spoken to the US Secretary of State and we will continue to liaise with our international partners to fully understand the details of this abhorrent attack.’
Prime Minister Boris Johnson (pictured during Wednesday’s Prime Minister’s questions) said: ‘It is with deep sadness that I learned that a UK soldier was killed in the attack’
This is while defence secretary Ben Wallace called the attack a ‘cowardly and retrograde act’.
‘The men and women of the UK armed forces are in Iraq to help that country establish stability and prosperity. The people that did this are not friends of Iraq.
‘My thoughts are with the families of those whose loved ones have been killed or injured. We shall not forget their sacrifice and will ensure those who committed these acts face justice.’
US officials last night declined to quantify the number of troops and military contractors among the dead and wounded and noted that the information was just coming in and could change.
Army Colonel Myles Caggins, a US military spokesman in Iraq, said that more than 15 small rockets hit Iraq’s Camp Taji base at around 7.35pm in Iraq on March 11.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Iraqi military said no casualties had been reported in the attack.
Camp Taji, located just north of Baghdad, has been used as a training base for a number of years.
There are as many as 6,000 US troops in Iraq, training and advising Iraqi forces and conducting counter-terror missions.
Iran-backed paramilitary groups have regularly been rocketing and shelling bases in Iraq that host US forces and the area around the US Embassy in Baghdad.
This is a breaking news story.