Parrado, "embedded" with the United States 3rd Infantry Division, died when an Iraqi missile impacted near an operations centre set up by the American military.

A German journalist and two US soldiers were also killed and 15 others wounded in the explosion.

Divison spokesman Mike Birmingham said a missile had landed near the operations centre of the 2nd brigade.

Parrado was the second EL Mundo field correspondent to die in hostilities within two years. His colleague Julio Fuentes was killed in November 2001 during an ambush in Afghanistan, in which three other journalists and an interpreter also died.

SPACE.WIRE