British soldier killed in southern Afghanistan

May 2nd, 2010 - 7:51 pm ICT by BNO News  

KABUL (BNO NEWS) — A British soldier was killed in an attack in southern Afghanistan on Sunday, Britain’s Ministry of Defence said.

The ministry said the soldier was killed in an explosion that happened near PB Waterloo in Sangin, a town in the country’s southern Helmand Province. “It is with deep sadness I must inform you that a soldier from 1st Battalion The Mercian Regiment, part of 40 Commando Battle Group, was killed in Sangin this morning,” said Lieutenant Colonel James Carr-Smith, a spokesman for Task Force Helmand. “He was providing protection to his fellow soldiers who were returning from a patrol when tragically he was killed in an explosion. He will be greatly missed and his actions will not be forgotten.”

The identity of the soldier was not immediately released as next of kin have asked for a 24 hour period of grace. The NATO-led ISAF alliance earlier said that a coalition soldier was killed in an insurgent attack in southern Afghanistan.

The casualty brings the number of British service members killed in Afghanistan so far this year to 37, according to a BNO News count based on official data. In total, 165 coalition service members have been killed in Afghanistan so far this year, including 101 service members from the United States.

On Saturday, a coalition soldier was killed in eastern Afghanistan following an indirect fire attack. His nationality has not been released yet.

The last British service member to die in Afghanistan was Fusilier Jonathan Antony Burgess, 20, from Swansea. He died southeast of Showal in the Nad-e Ali District of central Helmand Province on April 7 when he was shot during an exchange of fire with insurgents.

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