British Defense Secretary Geoff Hoon said Wednesday that Iraq's security situation continues to be a cause for concern, vowing that the coalition would not give up fighting those that have launched attacks on the occupying forces.

The "security situation...in and around Baghdad continues to be a cause for concern. We have to continue to bear down on those who are continuing to attack coalition forces," Hoon said in an interview with the BBC radio.

Hoon's comments came after his ministry announced Tuesday that a British Royal Marine was killed by hostile fire on Oct. 31 during a coalition operation.

A total of 19 British soldiers have been killed in Iraq since the United States announced that major military campaign against the country was over. Fifty-two British servicemen have lost their lives in Iraq since the coalition forces launched war against the country on March 20.

The news of the British soldier's death came following the Sunday attack in which 16 US soldiers were killed after their helicopter was gunned down west of Baghdad.

(Xinhua News Agency November 6, 2003)