The SAS are hunting the killers of British reservist Brodie Gillon in Iraq.
The 26-year-old female medic died along with two US soldiers when an Iranian-backed militia fired 30 Katyusha rockets at her base north of Baghdad.
She is the first British woman killed in Operation Shader, the UK mission to train Iraqi troops.
Colleagues of the unmarried combat medical technician from Ayr, Scotland, praised her dedication, describing her as larger than life.
Commanding officer Lt Col William Leek said: “She was hugely popular in the Scottish and North Irish Yeomanry and we are proud and humbled to have served with her.
“She was a larger-than-life soldier who was determined to deploy on operations, help others, develop herself and gain practical experience.”
L Cpl Gillon, who juggled military training with a civilian career as a self-employed sports physio, was among 400 troops taking part in Operation Shader.
Last night UK and US special forces, together with a western intelligence cell in Iraq, were urgently trying to track down the militia leaders who fired the devastating volley from a single lorry on Wednesday evening.
Eighteen rockets landed inside Camp Taji, wounding a further 12 military personnel from various countries, five seriously.
Within hours US jets hit back at the Hashed al-Shaabi network of Iranian-linked Shia fighters in Iraq, killing 18.
With forces braced for more attacks and amid fears of escalating tension with Iran, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace vowed: “Those who committed these acts will face justice.”
US Defence Secretary Mark Esper said: “We will not tolerate attacks against our people, our interests, or our allies. All options are on the table”.
It is believed the attack was retaliation for the American assassination of Iran’s clandestine operations chief Qasem Soleimani in January.
