British soldier killed in Afghanistan

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

The soldier, from 1st Battalion, The Royal Irish Regiment, while on patrol in the Nad e-Ali area of Helmand province was killed in an explosion as his immediate family were informed.

Lieutenant Colonel David Eastman, the spokesman for Taskforce Helmand, said, “It is with a heavy heart that I must report the loss of a soldier from 1st Battalion, The Royal Irish Regiment, this morning.”

“The soldier was part of a patrol providing security and a reassuring presence for the people of Nad e-Ali when he was hit by an improvised explosive device.”

“On this day of all days, his loss feels especially poignant and, as with all of our brave, fallen comrades, will be forever marked in our thoughts. He will be sorely missed.”
Northern Ireland’s first minister, Peter Robinson, said, “This death brings home the reality of war. Remembrance Sunday is not about the past, it’s about the present.”

“It’s about the family in Northern Ireland who are now grieving the loss of their boy. I extend my deepest sympathies to them.”

Since the Afghanistan operations began in 2001, 344 military personnel from the United Kingdom have died.

Another Danish soldier, and three others with unknown nationalities, all being of NATO troops, have also died on Sunday in the east of the country.