Hercules 'hit by terrorists'

A terrorist group claimed responsibility today for shooting down a British transport plane in Iraq, killing up to 10 members of the armed forces.

The Arabic television channel Al Jazeera has aired a video allegedly showing the plane being brought down.

The claim by Ansar al-Islam came as British military investigators confirmed they believed the Hercules C130 was brought down by a ground-launched missile.

A statement posted on the internet by the Iraqi group said its fighters tracked the aircraft as it came over them at low altitude and "fired an anti-tank missile at it".

It continued: "Thanks be to God, the plane was downed."

A senior RAF source said there was "no doubt" that the crash about 25 miles north of Baghdad was caused by a "catastrophic mid-air event".

He added: "A missile strike seems most likely".

Militants had warned of a "spectacular" attack during yesterday's Iraqi elections and the plane had been making a 40-mile journey from Baghdad to the US airbase of Balad as millions were going to the polls.

The aircraft came down at

1.40pm UK time near the town of Tarmiyah. The area, mainly farmland, was one of the first in the "Sunni Triangle" to gain notoriety for its hostility towards US troops.

In recent months, coalition pilots flying into Balad over the town have reported frequent attempts to down their aircraft with smallarms fire.

The Ministry of Defence today refused to confirm that SAS members were among the victims, but Balad airbase is a hub for American special forces operating in the "Sunni Triangle", and SAS squads have been

working closely with them there.

As he paid tribute to those killed, Tony Blair made pointed reference to the fact that members of the Army had lost their lives. He said: "This is the true face of the British Army: brave, committed, professional the world over, doing an extraordinary job for their

country. Yet again today we see the sacrifice they make."

US president George Bush also paid tribute to the men and increased speculation that US special forces were on the plane by referring to the "American and British military personnel" who had lost their lives.

The death toll is the biggest single loss of British life in Iraq since the invasion 22 months ago.

Flowers were laid today at the gates of RAF Lyneham, where the Hercules was based.

One of the men killed was named as Flight Lieutenant Paul Pardoel, 35, a father of three from Victoria state in Australia. He had joint British and Australian citizenship.

Speaking outside the family home near RAF Lyneham, his widow Kellie said the family were in "deep shock". She added: "I really can't talk about it at the moment. It is far too early."

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