Gunmen kill 2 UK soldiers in N. Ireland

Gunmen shot dead two British soldiers as they picked up pizzas at the entrance of an army base in Northern Ireland in an attack that appeared aimed at provoking a new round of violence in the province.

British and Irish political leaders condemned the Saturday night attack and said it must not derail the peace process. The Irish nationalist party Sinn Fein said Republicans had a duty to oppose what it called a "wrong and counterproductive" act.

It was one of the worst attacks in Northern Ireland since the 1998 peace deal was signed to end decades of political and sectarian strife.