One British soldier was killed and another wounded in an attack by a crowd of armed Iraqis who opened fire on a patrol with rocket-propelled grenades and small arms, the British military said on Thursday.

A spokesman said a British convoy was returning from an arrest operation on Wednesday evening when it came across a roadblock that diverted it through the town of Ali Ash Sharqi in southern Iraq, about 200 km (124 miles) northwest of the city of Basra.

The soldiers were confronted by a crowd of around 30 Iraqis and got out of their vehicles. A second crowd closed in on them from behind.

"The British soldiers fired two warning shots, and the crowd opened fire with small arms and rocket-propelled grenades," the spokesman said. "One soldier was fatally wounded and another was seriously wounded in the hand."

The spokesman said 10 Iraqis were arrested and the British convoy returned to base under air escort.

The attack brings to 11 the number of British soldiers killed in action since Washington declared major combat over on May 1.

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