Post by cammy on Aug 4, 2009 19:47:29 GMT 1
A British soldier was killed by an explosion in southern Afghanistan today, the Ministry of Defence has said.
The serviceman, from the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME), attached to the Light Dragoons, died from a blast, presumed to be caused by a roadside bomb, while on a vehicle patrol in Babaji, a district in southern Helmand province, this morning.
The soldier was the first member of the British forces to be killed in Afghanistan this month after 22, including eight in 24 hours, were killed in July, the bloodiest month since the start of the campaign.
Tonight Task Force Helmand spokesman lieutenant colonel Mark Wenham said: "It is with great regret that we report the death of another soldier on Operation Herick 10. The loss of a soldier, friend and colleague is tragic and our thoughts are with his family and friends at this time."
The MoD said his next of kin had been informed and had asked for a 24 hour period of grace before further details were released.
Today's death took the total number of British soldiers to have died in the country since the start of operations in 2001 to 192.
The number of deaths last month fuelled a political row over a shortage of helicopters for British troops in southern Afghanistan and delays in procuring more. The Commons defence committee warned that British military operations in Afghanistan were being seriously undermined.
Defence officials announced today that armour on the RAF's fleet of Merlin helicopters would be upgraded before they were deployed to carry equipment and troops on combat missions in Afghanistan. Tougher armour will be fixed to all 28 aircraft in the fleet.
"They will be ready to perform a full range of tasks," officials said. "We will tell industry what we want to receive, they reply and cost it," they added
The serviceman, from the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME), attached to the Light Dragoons, died from a blast, presumed to be caused by a roadside bomb, while on a vehicle patrol in Babaji, a district in southern Helmand province, this morning.
The soldier was the first member of the British forces to be killed in Afghanistan this month after 22, including eight in 24 hours, were killed in July, the bloodiest month since the start of the campaign.
Tonight Task Force Helmand spokesman lieutenant colonel Mark Wenham said: "It is with great regret that we report the death of another soldier on Operation Herick 10. The loss of a soldier, friend and colleague is tragic and our thoughts are with his family and friends at this time."
The MoD said his next of kin had been informed and had asked for a 24 hour period of grace before further details were released.
Today's death took the total number of British soldiers to have died in the country since the start of operations in 2001 to 192.
The number of deaths last month fuelled a political row over a shortage of helicopters for British troops in southern Afghanistan and delays in procuring more. The Commons defence committee warned that British military operations in Afghanistan were being seriously undermined.
Defence officials announced today that armour on the RAF's fleet of Merlin helicopters would be upgraded before they were deployed to carry equipment and troops on combat missions in Afghanistan. Tougher armour will be fixed to all 28 aircraft in the fleet.
"They will be ready to perform a full range of tasks," officials said. "We will tell industry what we want to receive, they reply and cost it," they added