Rifleman Sivo rescued his comrades despite being injured in the attack

Rifleman Jokini Sivo, 25, from Edinburgh, rescued his colleagues after they were attacked by insurgents.

The sniper, of 3 Battalion The Rifles, was awarded the medal for "conspicuous gallantry and leadership beyond the call of duty".

Despite being injured in the attack, Rifleman Sivo was said to have acted with disregard for his own safety.

He was the only member of his battalion to receive the award as part of the Operational Honours list, which was made public on Thursday.

The citation for his honour, the third highest awarded by the British Army, describes how he and his colleagues came under fire during a security patrol.

Sivo led his colleagues with distinction and complete disregard for his own safety in spite of being wounded Military Cross citation

Their attackers were armed with mortars and rocket-propelled grenades, which have been responsible for a significant number of British casualties in Iraq.

Rifleman Sivo, who is originally from Kadavu in Fiji and joined the British Army in 2000, said the urge to help his comrades get back to safety was far greater than any concern for his own personal safety.

He added: "As a British soldier you get taught that when you go through your training. It is just the camaraderie between the soldiers that takes over - we watch each other's backs.

"We were in a fire fight and our call sign came under heavy mortar and small arms fire. One of my colleagues was injured and we had to give covering fire as the troops were retreating back to safety.

"My battalion is very proud and I think the people back home in Fiji are quite proud too."

Rifleman Sivo said he felt humbled by the honour, and revealed he believed serving in the Army was "the best job in the world."

'Enemy marksmen'

The citation for his medal states: "During a joint security operation lasting for three hours, Sivo and his team were ordered to occupy an isolated and very prominent single-storey check-point building, and engage gunmen.

"This made them an easy target for enemy marksmen. In this exposed position he spotted a rocket-propelled grenade team, with gunmen in support, engaging a Warrior vehicle.

"He immediately engaged the firers. Sivo led his colleagues with distinction and complete disregard for his own safety in spite of being wounded."

Rifleman Sivo has served in Cyprus, Kosovo, Sierra Leone, The Falklands and Northern Ireland, as well as in Iraq.