UK death-toll in Afghanistan passes Falklands war

A British solider has been killed in an explosion in southern Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence has confirmed.

The soldier from 36 Engineer Regiment, part of the counter-IED Taskforce, was killed in the Nad-e-Ali district of central Helmand province on Monday morning.

The death brings the total number of British service personnel killed in Afghanistan since 2001 to 256, exceeding the number killed in the Falklands conflict of 1982.

Announcing the death, spokesman for Taskforce Helmand, Lieutenant Colonel David Wakefield, said the unnamed soldier, whose next of kin have been informed, was leading a team conducting route clearance operations at the time of his death.

"His indomitable courage and fortitude, the hall-mark of his profession, will not be forgotten," he said.

On Sunday two soldiers from the First Battalion the Royal Regiment of Scotland died in an explosion while on foot patrol near Sangin in northern Helmand province.

The three deaths are not connected with Operation Moshtarak, a major coalition offensive in southern Helmand province involving 4,000 UK troops.