A British soldier and two Canadians have been killed in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan.

Defence chiefs said the serviceman from 22 Engineer Regiment, Royal Engineers, died in the incident in Zabul Province.

Nato spokesman Lieutenant Commander Chris Hall said the crash was not caused by insurgent fire.

With another seven US troops killed on the same day, Monday was one of the worst days for foreign troops in Afghanistan since the overthrow of the Taliban in 2001.

Commenting on the latest British casualty, spokesman for Task Force Helmand, Lieutenant Colonel Nick Richardson said: "Today has been a sad day in the history of Task Force Helmand and this death has deeply moved us.

"The loss of a soldier, friend and colleague is tragic and our thoughts are with his family and friends at this sad time."

His death takes the number of UK service personnel killed in the country since the start of operations in October 2001 to 175.

And it comes as Ministry of Defence has named a British soldier killed during a huge operation against the Taliban on Sunday as Lance Corporal Dane Elson, of 1st Battalion Welsh Guards.

He was killed as he took part in Operation Panther's Claw, which was launched to drive the Taliban out of strongholds in and around Babaji, north of Lashkar Gah, Helmand.

The soldier's battalion was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Rupert Thorneloe, who last week became the most senior British Army officer to be killed since the Falklands War.

Lt Col Thorneloe was repatriated on Monday along with the body of Trooper Joshua Hammond, 18, of 2nd Royal Tank Regiment.

They died in a blast near Lashkar Gah in Helmand on Wednesday.

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