British soldier killed in Afghanistan

A second British soldier was killed yesterday in Afghanistan's Helmand province, the Ministry of Defence said today. The Royal Marine died in an explosion while on foot patrol serving with 40 Commando Royal Marines, as part of Combined Force Sangin, Helmand. He had been working to reassure local people when he died, the MoD said. His death follows that of a British soldier killed yesterday morning in a gun fight with insurgents in southern Afghanistan. A spokesman for Task Force Helmand, Lieutenant Colonel James Carr-Smith, said: "It is my sad duty to inform you that a marine from 40 Commando Royal Marines was killed by an explosion in Sangin last night. "He was conducting a reassurance foot patrol in the green zone around Sangin when, tragically, he was struck by an explosion." The marine's next of kin have been informed. His death took the number of British troops killed in operations in Afghanistan since the war began in 2001 to 288. Yesterday, the MoD announced that a soldier from 4th Regiment the Royal Artillery died after being shot in a firefight with insurgents in a separate incident in the Nahr-e Saraj area of Helmand province yesterday morning. He is expected to be named today.