Iraq bombing: 3rd SA man dies

2005-11-19 10:55

Johannesburg - A third South African has been killed following a suicide bombing in Baghdad this week.

Foreign Affairs spokesperson Ronnie Mamoepa said on Saturday that a South African who had been injured, has died.

Mamoepa said the person was one of a group of four South Africans affected by the bombing on Monday.

Two other South Africans died at the scene of the bombing on Monday. A fourth is injured in hospital.

"The person's name will not be released until the next of kin has been informed," Mamoepa said.

Some 18 South Africans have been killed in Iraq since the United States-led invasion more than two years ago.

Between 5 000 and 10 000 South Africans are believed to be in Iraq.

The dead, who are believed to be former police task force members, worked for Dyncorp International, a US-based company, which recruits security personnel from around the world to serve in conflict areas.

They were apparently escorting a convoy of construction engineers in Baghdad's high-security Green Zone when the bomb exploded in a panel van about 10m away.

The area, nicknamed "Assassins' Gate" by US forces, is near one of the main entrances to the heavily fortified Green Zone, home to the US and British embassies and to Iraqi government offices.

In addition to the two South Africans, three other security officials were killed, while two were injured.

- SAPA