A HAMPSHIRE soldier has been seriously wounded in a bomb attack in Iraq.

Private Darron Curtis was serving with the 2nd Battalion the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment when the explosion happened outside a military base in Shaibah, 20 miles south-west of Basra.

The 22-year-old from North Baddesley, who was married just two months ago, was one of nine British troops and a number of Iraqi civilians treated in hospital following the blast at an entrance to a compound.

He was immediately evacuated to a United States medical centre in neighbouring Kuwait, where he needed operations to his hand, eye and neck after suffering shrapnel injuries.

He is expected to be flown back to the UK within the next couple of days where he will continue his recovery at Birmingham General Hospital.

Today his family told the Daily Echo about their anxious wait for news.

Pte Curtis's wife, Haylee, 21, received a phone call telling her about the explosion that night.

She said: "I realised something was wrong as soon as my dad told me the Army was on the phone.

"I immediately thought the worst and I was overcome with emotion. I didn't want to believe it and I just started crying.

"Darron is due to come back to England soon and I just hope he doesn't have to go back out there. I would hate it."

The newlyweds, who were together for three years before they married last November, had been living at Haylee's parents' house in Lavington Gardens, North Baddesley, before Pte Curtis was posted to Iraq.

Mrs Curtis, who works as a beauty therapist, added: "When I first found out Darron was going to Iraq I wasn't pleased, but I don't really think anyone would be. There's never a good time to go out there but I know it was something he had to do.

"I just tried not to watch the news because there is always things on about suicide bombers and car bombers."

Pte Curtis joined the Army about three years ago but had only been serving in the country for three weeks before the explosion happened on Thursday.

His dad, Martin Curtis, 52, of Onibury Road, Midanbury, said: "Darron's been on about joining the Army since he left school and we didn't have a problem with it at all. He's in the Army and doing a job for his country. What's happened is part of his job.

"We don't know the full extent of his injuries but we do know that out of all the soldiers there at the time he was hit the worst.

"When he's in uniform he's very proud and whatever he does he always does to the best of his ability. He's pretty resilient and we hope that he gets over what's happened and can get on with his life."

A Ministry of Defence spokesman refused to comment on individual cases but said: "We are pleased to say four of our soldiers have already returned to duty and we are expecting the others to return to duty soon."

It is not clear who was responsible for the explosion, but there have been claims it was the work of extremists seeking revenge over alleged prisoner abuse by UK troops.

A group claiming Al-Qaida affiliation alleged that it carried out a suicide attack there in retaliation for British abuse of Iraqi prisoners.