Find safety or leave Iraq, Britons warned

[Khephra]

British expatriates in Iraq were told yesterday to leave the country or seek secure accommodation after an engineer and two American colleagues were abducted.

After the dawn raid on Thursday when Kenneth Bigley was snatched the British embassy said a "change in tactics" by insurgents could lead to more abductions from people's homes.

The warning came amid reports that a British soldier was wounded by militia in Basra yesterday. The Defence Secretary, Geoff Hoon, said it was possible that more British troops could be sent to Iraq for the January elections.

The family of Mr Bigley, 62, received a phone call yesterday from Jack Straw, the Foreign Secretary.


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