British soldier killed in Afghanistan

A British soldier has been killed on patrol in southern Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence has said.

The soldier was part of a joint British-Afghan unit which was hit by an improvised explosive device in the Gereshk region of Helmand province at 8.25am local time.

The death came as the MoD launched an investigation into a rocket attack by British forces at the weekend in which three Afghan civilians were killed.

The attack also left one other International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) soldier, an Afghan National Army soldier and the patrol's interpreter, with shrapnel and blast injuries.

The casualties were airlifted along with the body to the medical unit at Camp Bastion.

British Army spokesman Lieutenant Colonel David Reynolds said: "Everyone in Task Force Helmand is affected by the death of a soldier, and the thoughts and sympathies of us all are with the family at this most difficult time."

The fatality brings the total number of British military deaths in Afghanistan to 116 since the start of operations in November 2001.

Of those, the MoD said 85 have been killed as a result of hostile action.

The MoD said troops from the 2nd Battalion of the Parachute Regiment were involved in the civilian deaths, and promised a full investigation.

The three victims, believed to be a woman and two children, died when the building they were in was hit by rockets in the Sangin district of Helmand on Saturday.

The International Security Assistance Force said British forces launched the rockets as insurgents were about to open fire from the building's roof, and were not aware of civilians inside.

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