A British soldier died in southern Iraq yesterday after suffering a gunshot wound to the head, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said.
No enemy forces were involved in the incident, which happened at around 9am local time yesterday.
Medical assistance was given, but the soldier, serving with 9 Regiment Army Air Corps, died at the scene.
The MoD said there was no evidence to suggest anyone else was involved in the incident.
Next of kin have been informed.
No indication has yet been given of where the incident took place, but a year ago British forces withdrew to an airbase outside Basra, which they had patrolled for nearly five years.
This is the first British fatality in Iraq since March, when an unnamed soldier died from wounds sustained in a gun battle.
A total of 177 British service personnel have now lost their lives on service in Iraq since the US-led invasion in March 2003.
The dead soldier's family have asked for a period of grace before releasing more details.
In Afghanistan, mean-while, two Danish soldiers were killed on Wednesday in an attack on a Danish-British patrol.
The Army Operational Command says the patrol came under attack Thursday in the southern district of Gereshk.
One soldier was fatally wounded when his vehicle was hit by a bomb, the army said.
The patrol came under fire shortly afterwards.
The army says a second soldier was killed by another explosion when Danish and British troops rushed to help their wounded colleague.
Denmark has about 700 troops serving in the Nato force in Afghanistan. Most of them are based in the volatile Helmand province.
Eighteen Danish soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since Denmark joined the US-led coalition in 2002.
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