Aug 22, 2005, 14:01 GMT
Britain's Prince Andrew paid a flying visit to British troops serving in southern Iraq yesterday.
The prince, whose official title is The Duke of York, was flown by helicopter into Basra for the one-day trip.
During the visit, Andrew, who is Colonel-In-Chief of the Royal Irish and the Staffordshire regiments, was given a tour of the south east of Iraq, stopping off at Maysaan, a province north of Basra and the Shaibah Logistics Base.
Around 1,000 British troops are currently serving in Maysaan.
Before leaving the country, Andrew, who piloted helicopters for the Royal Navy during the Falklands conflict, flew to the Umm Qasr Naval Base and paid his respects at memorials to soldiers who lost their lives in recent months. The Prince said: "I was delighted to visit British and Irish servicemen serving alongside each other in Iraq.
"I would like to add my thanks to all service personnel for their courage, hard work and determination in supporting their country."
Copyright 2005 BANG Media International
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