§ Mr. David Steelasked the Minister of State for Defence if he will make a statement about the death of Trooper M. J. Martin of the Special Air Services in the Sultanate of Oman, including the location of his death; and why men of the Special Air Services on a training mission in the Sultanate were close to the border with the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen.
§ Lord BalnielTrooper Martin was a member of a training team attached to the Sultan of Oman's Forces in a camp east of the Omani fort near the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen/Oman border at Habarut. The Omani fort was attacked continuously for most of 5th May with mortar and machine gun fire from across the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen border. Early during this attack, the camp received a direct hit: mortar splinters hit Trooper Martin and he died almost immediately. The training teams direct the training of the firquats whose members are, in the main, deployed in their own areas in the Dhofar. Whilst the training teams are required to take all reasonable precautions to avoid direct contact with the rebel forces in the Sultanate, they cannot avoid being in these areas where attacks by the rebels or by hostile elements from across the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen border can take place.