A 20-YEAR-OLD soldier based at Tidworth is the latest British fatality of the Army's peacekeeping efforts in Basra in southern Iraq.

Private Lee O'Callaghan, from south London, was on patrol in a lightly armoured Land Rover when he and his colleagues came under fire from armed supporters of the radical cleric Muqtada al Sadr.

He was shot in the chest and died instantly, becoming the 63rd British serviceman to die since the invasion of Iraq last year.

Private O'Callaghan, who was unmarried, was serving with the 1st battalion, the Princess of Wales' Royal Regiment, based in Tidworth. His commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Maer, said: "Private Lee O'Callaghan joined my battalion in December 2003 and was quickly assimilated into the regimental family. He was highly regarded and known as a hard-working, diligent member of the team who could be trusted to finish any task with characteristic good humour.

"He was an avid football fan and keen supporter of Millwall. As a midfield player himself he took every opportunity he could to play football, bringing his love for the game from Tidworth to Iraq.

"Lee came from Bermondsey, London. He joined the Army for the excitement and challenge it offered. He excelled in the training and preparations for Iraq and looked forward to deploying on operations and to do the job for which he had trained.

"Private O'Callaghan showed the highest standards of professionalism and courage, in a highly volatile situation.

"The loss of Private O'Callaghan is deeply felt by all those in the battalion, but especially so by his friends in B Company. Our heartfelt thoughts go out to his family and loved ones from all those in his Army family."

Four other soldiers from Private

O'Callaghan's unit were injured in the attack, one of a series targeted against British soldiers by the insurgents who have infiltrated the area from Muqtada al Sadr's stronghold around the holy city of Najaf.

The latest insurgency is making it very difficult for the British forces to maintain their "softly softly" approach to policing the area. A spokesman for the British forces in Basra said troops would use "appropriate force" to defend themselves when necessary.