 The UK death toll in Afghanistan exceeds that of the Falklands War |
A soldier from 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards has been killed in an explosion in Afghanistan, the MoD has said.
The blast occurred in the Babaji district of central Helmand province on Thursday morning.
The soldier was on foot patrol and was part of "ongoing operations to protect the local population from insurgents", Lt Col David Wakefield said.
His next of kin have been informed. A total of 257 British personnel have died in Afghanistan since 2001.
Lt Col Wakefield, spokesman for Task Force Helmand, paid tribute to the soldier, who has not yet been named.
"He will be sorely missed by us, his comrades, and his steadfast courage will not be forgotten," he said.
Operation Moshtarak
The soldier is the fourth to die on operations in Helmand in the past five days.
On Sunday, Cpl John Moore and Pte Sean McDonald were killed in an explosion while on foot patrol near Sangin in Helmand province.
The following day Warrant Officer Class 2 David Markland, a bomb disposal expert, died in a blast in the Nad e Ali district.
His death took the total loss of life in Afghanistan above that during the 1982 Falklands War.
An MoD spokesman said the latest fatality was not related to a major Nato-led offensive due to get under way in Helmand.
Codenamed Operation Moshtarak, it aims to drive out Taliban fighters from the town of Marjah and surrounding areas.
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