The deaths of two British soldiers in a roadside bomb attack will not divert efforts to rebuild Iraq, defence chiefs promised last night.

Secretary of State Des Browne said the loss of seven British servicemen and women in the past week was "very tragic and very sad".

But it would not stop progress in helping Iraqis to safely govern their country without foreign assistance.

He said: "We shall continue to serve the Iraqi people in the way in which we have for as long as they, through their government, want us to be there."

The deaths of the two 2nd Battalion Royal Anglian Regiment soldiers in Basra took the British military death toll in Iraq to 111.

They were killed as they travelled in a convoy of armoured vehicles on Saturday night.

A third soldier, who was believed to have suffered serious but not life-threatening injuries, is being treated at a military hospital.

News of the deaths came as prayers were said yesterday for five military personnel who died when their helicopter crashed in Basra last Saturday.

The helicopter had apparently been hit by a rocket.

The five were mourned during a service at the Fleet Air Arm Memorial Church, St Bartholomew's, in Yeovilton.

Speaking about the latest deaths, Mr Browne said yesterday that he had been enormously impressed by the professionalism and dedication of those in Iraq.

He added: "Despite these incidents, which are very tragic and very sad, we are making progress.

"We have made it very clear what the conditions shall be in relation to the draw down of our troops in Iraq.

"They are there to do a job, on a mandate we now have from the United Nations, and we shall continue to do that job for as long as the Iraqi people want us to be there.

"We are helping them to build capacity - both militarily and in security terms, and in terms of governance - to govern and secure their own oil.

"When the time is right, we shall draw down our troops."