Soldier has acid thrown in his face and is slashed with blade near his base
A SOLDIER had acid hurled in his face and was slashed with a blade near his base.
The Irish Guardsman was out running when three men pounced on Tuesday evening.
Corrosive chemicals were sprayed across his face and chest. and he was sliced across the arm and stomach — sparking fears of a Lee Rigby-type attack.
The Guardsman, whose identity The Sun is protecting, remained in hospital surrounded by his worried family today after the incident near Cavalry Barracks in Hounslow, West London.
Insiders tonight said his mobile phone was stolen, leading cops to believe it was a robbery and not terror related.
Footage obtained by The Sun shows the soldier, in his 30s, with his shirt off being hosed down by a fire crew inside the base after the horror at a nearby park.
Sources said his wounds were not major but there was concern the attack may have damaged his sight in one eye.
SLASHED & BURNED
It is believed he may have been targeted for his Apple Watch. The gadgets are used by runners and the latest versions retail from £399 up to £1,399.
One insider said: “He was just out for a run. He wasn’t in Army gear or clothes that suggested he was Forces.
“Not far from his base, three men jumped him and he had something sprayed in his face and his arm and stomach were cut.
“Cops are certain it’s not terror and everyone on the base is being told it’s not terror but it’s hard not to think of Lee Rigby when something like this happens.
“Officers say it was a robbery gone wrong. There have been similar incidents in the area.”
'ROBBERY GONE WRONG'
Just over a mile away on Sunday, a 30-year-old man was repeatedly stabbed and left in a critical condition.
It is believed the soldier hobbled back through the gates to get help. An ambulance and fire crew raced to the scene before he was taken to hospital.
Senior sources said base security had not been changed as a result of the attack.
Cops are still hunting the three men. An Army spokesperson said: “The Met Police are leading the investigation and it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage.”
A Met spokesman said: “His condition is not believed to be life-threatening.
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“No arrests have been made at this stage. Inquiries continue but at this early stage the incident is being treated as a robbery.
“This incident is not being treated as terrorism-related.”
Fusilier Lee was hacked to death outside a barracks in Woolwich in 2013 by jihadist thugs Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale, who were later jailed for life.
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