A foreign civilian was killed in a drive-by shooting in the southern Iraqi city of Basra today, a British military spokesman said.
"The initial report that we had was that he was South African," the spokesman said. "However this is now being questioned."
The spokesman said the shooting took place near the offices of Iraq's Southern Oil Company in central Basra. Another person in the car was not hurt.
Witnesses said gunmen in a car sprayed a four-wheel drive vehicle with bullets, killing the driver and causing the car to crash into a wall. They said the men in the car were armed, indicating they were foreign security guards.
Attacks on foreigners have been on the rise across Iraq as US-led forces struggle to crush insurgents in the centre and south of the country.