A Northern Ireland soldier killed in Iraq was buried with full military honours yesterday.
Senior military officers and East Derry MP Gregory Campbell were among the mourners at the funeral in Portstewart, Co Derry, of Lance Cpl Darren Flowers (25).
He was killed last month while working in a vehicle park in a military base in Basra that was hit by shrapnel.
At a private funeral service in Burnside Presbyterian Church, Rev Richard Gregg told the soldier's family and relatives that they were there not just to mourn, but also to celebrate a wonderful life which had been cut short.
The soldier was originally from the Waterside area of Derry.
In a statement, his family said the past fortnight had been the hardest and most painful.
It added: "Darren, or Daz to his friends, was someone who was always full of life and energy. In many ways, he was like any young man and to the family he was unique.
"His officers in the army have nothing but praise for him and his commitment to the job he loved, while his work colleagues remember him as someone who would never leave a job undone or a colleague working late alone."
A number of senior officers attended the service.
The young soldier was buried in Portstewart Cemetery.