Bomb expert killed in Iraq

[Whitebeard]

A 53-year-old British bomb disposal expert has been killed in a roadside ambush in northern Iraq.
Ian Rimell, from Kidderminster, Worcestershire, died near the city of Mosul.

The married father-of-three was killed, and his local bodyguard seriously injured, when they were attacked on Thursday afternoon as they drove along a main road to the northern Iraqi city.

Mr Rimell, who was working for the British-based charity Mines Advisory Group (MAG), was driving in a vehicle with the distinctive MAG emblem when the gunmen struck.

The 53-year-old's bodyguard Salem Ahmed Mohammed was left in a critical condition.

'Dedicated humanitarian'

Earlier in the day, Mr Rimell had cleared a scrap heap filled with ammunition and hidden explosives.

He later delivered the scrap metal for use in the rebuilding of a local school.

MAG's executive director, Lou McGrath, said: "MAG's staff are devastated by the loss of their good friend and colleague.

"He was a dedicated humanitarian who worked so well with the local people.

"Our thoughts are with the families and our prayers are with Salem as he remains in a serious condition."

He added: "We are further reviewing our areas of operation in Iraq following this attack."

MAG has been in Iraq without interruption for more than a decade and has 700 staff, who are mostly local, in northern Iraq.

It is one of the few international aid agencies that stayed in Iraq throughout the conflict.

Mr Rimell, who was awarded a British Empire Medal, joined MAG in January this year after a distinguished career in mine and bomb disposal.