Britain’s defence secretary has said that those behind an indiscriminate rocket attack that killed a British medical technician and two Americans in Iraq on Wednesday will face justice.

The dead Briton was named as L/Cpl Brodie Gillon, a reservist who served as a frontline medic with the Scottish and North Irish Yeomanry, and who had volunteered for a deployment in Iraq this year.

The 26-year-old was killed when 18 rockets struck the Camp Taji base, 25 miles (40km) north of Baghdad, in an attack that the US said was conducted by an Iranian proxy group operating in Iran, probably Kataib Hezbollah.

Ben Wallace, the UK defence secretary, described the attack as “a cowardly and retrograde act” and said his thoughts were with the families of those killed. “We shall not forget their sacrifice and will ensure those who committed these acts face justice,” he said.

A further 14 personnel were wounded when 18 Katyusha rockets hit the base on Wednesday. The US said they were fired from a truck launcher, found by Iraqi security forces near the base after the attack.

Late on Thursday night, the Pentagon carried out a series of retaliatory air strikes in Iraq, which US officials said were aimed at a paramilitary group with strong ties to Iran.

Wallace issued a statement after the attacks, saying: “The coalition stands shoulder to shoulder in Iraq ... When we and others are attacked we reserve the right to defend ourselves.”

“We support the right of the United States to defend themselves, as they have done tonight,” Wallace said.

"The coalition stands shoulder to shoulder in Iraq...When we and others are attacked we reserve the right to defend ourselves."



Defence Secretary @BWallaceMP on the US airstrikes in Iraq this evening: pic.twitter.com/xu6OF33Rcu — Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) March 13, 2020

At the turn of the year, after a contractor was killed at a base in Kirkuk, the situation rapidly escalated, with the US killing the Iranian general Qassem Suleimani in a drone strike.

But on Thursday, when asked asked if any counterattack could include a strike inside Iran, the US defence secretary, Mark Esper, appeared to rule out that possibility: “We are focused on the group that we believe perpetrated this in Iraq.”

Gillon’s commanding officer, Lt Col William Leek, said she was a “hugely popular character”. He added: “She had already achieved a great deal in her relatively short time with us and it was abundantly clear that she was destined for great things in her civilian and military careers. Her loss is keenly felt.”

Wallace said: “From the warm testimonies of those who served with her, it’s clear that L/Cpl Gillon was held in the highest regard and was a shining example of what our armed forces and reserves stand for, inspiring those around her and always putting others first.”