British soldier killed in Afghanistan

An explosion in southern Afghanistan killed a British soldier on foot patrol, a spokesman for Task Force Helmand announced late on Friday.

The incident occurred on Friday afternoon when the soldier from the A Company 4 Rifles, serving as part of 3 Rifles battlegroup, was killed while patrolling on foot in Sangin in central Helmand Province.

“He was on a foot patrol, part of a larger operation to provide security for the local population in Sangin, when the explosion happened,” said Lieutenant Colonel David Wakefield, a spokesman for Task Force Helmand.

He is the fifth British soldier to die in Afghanistan this year and his death brings to 250 the total number of British troops killed since the 2001 US-led invasion, AFP reported.

Last year, 108 British service personnel died in Afghanistan, making it the bloodiest year for the military since the 1982 Falklands War.