A SOLDIER from Aylesham has been injured in a suicide bombing near Basra in Iraq.

Private Christopher Murphy's condition is not critical. He was flown home suffering from tinnitus, injuries to his left hand and whiplash.

He is one of nine soldiers of the 2nd Battalion Princess Of Wales's Royal Regiment hurt when a suicide car bomber drove his vehicle towards the main gate of an Army base 20 miles from Basra.

A group claiming to be linked to al-Qaeda says it carried out the attack in revenge for pictures showing the alleged abuse of Iraqi prisoners by UK troops.

The Shaibah base is a logistics centre housing about 1,000 troops, civilians and support staff.

An eye witness said a suicide car bomber drove his vehicle towards the main gate of the compound and when two British military vehicles tried to intercept him, the bomb was detonated. The blast set the military vehicles ablaze.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said none of the other injured soldiers were from Kent.