British, Indian soldiers hurt as troop carriers collide

Salisbury, Wiltshire, UNITED KINGDOM: This handout photograph released by the Wiltshire Air Ambulance service, faces obscured by provider, shows members of the emergency services and members of the British Army near to scene of an incident on Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire, southern England on June 17, 2015. Around 20 British and Indian military personnel were wounded, at least four seriously, in a collision between three troop carriers in southwest England, officials said. AFP PHOTO/Wiltshire Air Ambulance/Handout

June 18, 2015
LONDON 15 (AFP) - Around 20 British and Indian military personnel were wounded, at least four seriously, in a collision between three troop carriers in southwest England on Wednesday, officials said.

Four or five of the wounded were left with "life-changing injuries" following the crash on Salisbury Plain, police said, which came as the British and Indian armies conducted a joint exercise in the area.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman in London said he understood that both British and Indian forces were among those hurt, adding the incident would be "duly investigated".

The local Wiltshire Police said that the crash happened near one of the main battle camps on Salisbury Plain and was reported to them at 6:30 pm (1730 GMT).

"We had reports of four to five people with life-changing injuries and approximately 16 others walking wounded," it added in a statement.

A post on the Indian Army's Facebook page before the incident Wednesday said the two armies were currently carrying out a joint exercise called Ajeya Warrior to "enhance their ability to undertake joint tactical level operations in (a) counter insurgency/counter terrorism environment".

Salisbury Plain, a 300-square-mile (780-square-kilometre) area of land which includes the prehistoric stone circle at Stonehenge, is owned by the Ministry of Defence and is Britain's biggest military training area.