Three British soldiers were killed in a road accident involving an army Land Rover and an articulated lorry in Co Armagh last night. They were members of a Scottish regiment serving in Northern Ireland.
The army Land Rover overturned as a result of the accident.
Three other soldiers and an RUC man, as well as the lorrydriver, were also injured in the accident, which happened shortly after 7 p.m. a mile outside Markethill at a junction on the main road between Armagh and Newry, Co Down. It is believed that an army checkpoint was operating in the area at the time.
The three soldiers all died at the scene and the injured were taken by ambulance to Daily Hill Hospital in Newry. A spokesman at the hospital said last night that none of the five was seriously injured.
He said that four of the injured men were in a comfortable condition, and that the fifth was "less comfortable, but not serious". Three of the injured were expected to be released from hospital later last night, while the other two were to be held for overnight observation.