The BBC reported on 28 May 2006 that more than 1,000 British soldiers had abandoned their posts since the start of the Iraq war in March 2003, though the broadcaster did not disclose how it obtained the figures.
Britain's defense ministry disputed both the numbers and the characterization. A spokeswoman said the ministry was aware of only a small number of confirmed deserters going back to 1989, and that the rate of soldiers going absent without leave had remained steady since 2001.
The BBC's own count showed 377 personnel went missing during 2005 and had not yet returned, with a further 189 unaccounted for by late May 2006. Roughly 900 had evaded capture since the conflict began.
The ministry rejected any link to combat deployments, saying it lacked a breakdown of reasons cited by soldiers who go absent. Domestic circumstances, not operational duty, were described as the more common factor.
Labour MP John McDonnell separately told parliament that desertion cases had tripled over the previous three years.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in May 2006, in its own words.