Three soldiers of the Black Watch Regiment died in an attack on their patrol only a week after their unit began redeploying northward in a move Britsh critics said would put them in unacceptable danger. Adam Ingram, minister of state for the armed forces, confirmed the deaths Thursday, saying in a statement to the House of Commons that the attack took place on the previous day. Insurgents opened fire on the patrol south of Baghdad, also killing an Iraqi interpreter and wounding eight British soldiers, according to a British media pool report. About 850 soldiers from the Black Watch were moved northward from the British zone of Iraq, to a military base about 30 kilometres south of Baghdad known as Camp Dogwood. The deployment was completed only two days ago. Sunni insurgents regularly have targeted the camp with mortar fire since the British arrived. The deployment northward to support U.S. forces had engendered controversy in Britain. Fears were raised the soldiers were being needlessly sent into a region much more dangerous than their bivouac in southern Iraq. British Prime Minister Tony Blair issued a statement of condolence, saying his thoughts were with the families of the victims
