British soldier killed in training accident in Iraq named as Lance Corporal James Stewart Freeman

A British Army soldier killed in a training accident in Iraq has been named as Lance Corporal James Stewart Freeman.

The 28-year-old died in northern Iraq on Sunday, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said.

Defence Secretary John Healey announced the death to the House of Commons on Monday.

"I know the thoughts of the house will be with the family and with the unit at this desperately sad time," he said.

The MoD said Lance Corporal Freeman joined the Army in June 2016 before joining 1st Battalion, the Royal Anglian Regiment (The Vikings) in February 2017.

He had been deployed on operations in South Sudan, contributed to the response to the COVID-19 pandemic and supported missions in Cyprus and most recently Operation Shader in Iraq, the ministry said.

Some British personnel remain in the region as part of a coalition supporting Operation Shader, designed to prevent a resurgence of the Islamic State group.

The mission includes training local forces in areas such as weapons maintenance, counter-IED skills, and medical and engineering. UK forces are also involved in intelligence and surveillance, as well as strike operations in support of partner forces.

Lance Corporal Freeman had also served in the Falklands, Jordan, Romania and Kenya. He served in a variety of roles, including rifleman, mortarman and machine gunner.

Read more from Sky News:
US confirms strikes after explosions on Iranian island
YouTuber jailed for murdering pregnant girlfriend

The MoD said during his most recent appointment as section second in command within the Assault Pioneer Platoon, he "was deeply invested in this role, pushing the capability, and always suggesting improvements to techniques, kit and equipment".

"He had a promising career ahead of him," the MoD said in a statement.

"A lover of the outdoors, he would often go clay pigeon shooting and regularly share stories about shooting with his dad.

"He also enjoyed gaming and would often play video games into the late hours with soldiers across the battalion.

"Above all, he was a devoted family man and never passed up on the opportunity to share that with his peers. He put them first in every situation whether it was a passing comment in a hard situation or expressing his excitement to see them when he was away."

Colonel James WHM Bishop, Commander British Forces Operation Shader, said: "I am devastated at the loss of Lance Corporal Freeman.

"He was a highly professional Junior Non-Commissioned Officer whose dedication to his friends, his sub-unit in the United Kingdom Mobility Company, and the wider Battalion represented the very best of his generation.

"Larger than life and magnetically charming, he was a trusted junior leader who naturally brought people together, forming a wide and fiercely loyal group of friends across the entire Op Shader contingent.

"His absence leaves a profound, irreplaceable void, and he will be missed beyond measure by everyone who had the privilege to serve alongside him. I offer my deepest condolences to his wife, his family, and the 1st Battalion, The Royal Anglian Regiment."

(c) Sky News 2026: British soldier killed in training accident in Iraq named as Lance Corporal James Stewart Fr