The Report
of the Iraq Inquiry
684.
IED attacks in
MND(SE) continued to cause casualties, with an increase in
the
targeting
of Warrior vehicles.
685.
On 28 December
2006, Sergeant Graham Hesketh was killed when the
Warrior
vehicle in
which he was patrolling hit a roadside IED in Basra
City.361
686.
On 5 January
2007, PJHQ informed Mr Browne that a Warrior vehicle had
been
penetrated
by an IED attack on 27 December, resulting in seven minor
casualties.362
687.
PJHQ said
there had been an increasing number of larger EFPs used against
MNF
vehicles
over the last two months and, as a result, two further UORs to
enhance the
Warrior’s
armour had been submitted. A reserve pool of Warrior vehicles was
maintained
to replace
those damaged beyond repair in theatre.
688.
On 10 January,
Mr Browne requested further advice on the nature of the
advanced
armour,
when it was likely to be fitted and any intelligence held on the
increased threat.363
689.
Private
Michael Tench was killed on 21 January when his Warrior vehicle
suffered
an IED
attack while patrolling with three other Warrior
vehicles.364
Four other
soldiers
sustained
injuries, one of which was very serious.
690.
PJHQ submitted
further advice to Mr Browne on 26 January.365
It said that
the
recent
attacks were the first to penetrate the Warrior vehicles but, while
the number
of EFP
attacks had increased, “these large EFPs are not a new threat, as
they were
first seen
in MND(SE) in Jul 05”. Six Warriors had sustained serious damage
since
1 November
2006.
691.
PJHQ assessed
that the increased targeting of Warrior was likely to be a
result
of their
increased use in road convoys (due to the reduction in the use of
Snatch Land
Rovers).
The two UORs for enhanced armour were predicted to be in service by
the end
of
April.
692.
On 5 February,
Second Lieutenant Jonathan Carlos Bracho‑Cooke died as
a
result of
injuries sustained when his Warrior vehicle suffered an IED attack
on patrol in
361
GOV.UK.
29 December
2006, Sergeant
Graham Hesketh killed in Iraq.
362
Minute PJHQ
[junior official] to APS2/SofS [MOD], 5 January 2007, ‘Op TELIC:
Improvised Explosive
Device
(IED) Attack on Warrior’.
363
Minute
APS/SofS [MOD] to PJHQ [junior officer], 10 January 2007, ‘Op
TELIC: Improvised Explosive
Device
(IED) Attack on Warrior’.
364
Minute PJHQ
[junior officer] to PS/SofS [MOD], 21 January 2007, ‘Iraq: Op
TELIC: Death of British
Soldier
Basra City’.
365
Minute PJHQ
[junior officer] to APS/SofS [MOD], 26 January 2007, ‘Op TELIC:
Improvised Explosive
Device
(IED) Attacks on Warrior’.
366
GOV.UK,
6 February
2007, Second
Lieutenant Jonathan Carlos Bracho‑Cooke killed in
Iraq.
118