UK reports 1st death related to Libya campaign

[David__77]

Source: Boston Globe

LONDON—Britain's military has reported its first death related to the campaign over Libya after an airman died in a traffic accident in southern Italy.

The Ministry of Defense said Thursday that an airman from the Royal Air Force's No. 2 Squadron died in the Abruzzo region when his vehicle went off the road.

The military said the cause of the death was being investigated.

Britain is one of the leading members of the international coalition enforcing a no-fly zone over Libya. Rebels there have been struggling to oust dictator Moammar Gadhafi since the uprising against his rule broke out in February.

Read more: http://www.boston.com/news/world/europe/articles/2011/07/21/uk_reports_1st_death_related_to_libya_campaign/

[MADem]

1. I was having trouble with this report until I saw the BBC coverage

The Globe article reads like he was going out for a pizza on a nasty bit of the Appian Way, or something, while deployed to Italy in support of the mission.

In actual fact, he was part of a convoy that was ferrying logistical equipment from UK to southern IT, and he was in the lead when his vehicle went off the road.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14241272
A Royal Air Force serviceman was killed in a road accident in southern Italy on Wednesday, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has said.

It said the airman, of No 2 (Mechanical Transport) Squadron, was driving the lead vehicle in a convoy when it left the road in the Abruzzo region.

It was taking supplies to UK forces involved in military action in Libya.

The 23-year-old, who has not been named, was based at RAF Wittering, Cambs....MoD spokesman Col Nick Orr said it was not yet known why his vehicle left the road, but the cause of the accident was being investigated...The convoy was travelling from the UK to air bases in southern Italy.