British death toll in Afghanistan reaches 250 after Rifleman is killed by explosion

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A soldier has been killed in an explosion in Afghanistan, bringing the total UK death toll since the start of the war to 250.

A member of A Company 4 Rifles, serving as part of 3 Rifles Battle Group, died in Sangin, in Helmand province yesterday. His family have been informed.

So far 250 British soldiers have been killed since operations began in the country in October 2001- almost as many as lost their lives in the Falklands War in 1982.

The latest soldier to be killed in Helmand, Afghanistan, brings the UK death toll to 250 since the war began


Last year saw one of the bloodiest periods for the Armed Forces and a total of 108 servicemen lost their lives in Afghanistan in 2009.
UK forces are still facing fierce opposition as the battle for supremacy persists in the key Taliban strongholds of southern Afghanistan.
Roadside bombs, or improvised explosive devices (IEDs), have claimed most of the British lives and are becoming increasingly widely used by the insurgents.

Britain has suffered more deaths in Afghanistan than any other country apart from the United States
UK troops have been hit particularly hard because nearly all of them are based in Helmand, an insurgent stronghold and major centre of opium production which is the most dangerous province in the country.
The death toll soared last year as UK troops launched major missions over the summer to provide security in Helmand ahead of August's presidential and provincial elections.
There were 39 British deaths in the Afghan conflict in 2006, 42 in 2007, 51 in 2008 and 108 in 2009.
By contrast 179 UK personnel died in Iraq between 2003 and 2009 and 255 died in the 1982 Falklands War.
Spokesman for Task Force Helmand, Lieutenant Colonel David Wakefield, said: "It is my sad duty to inform you that a British soldier from A Company 4 Rifles, serving as part of 3 Rifles Battle Group, was killed by an explosion near Sangin in 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. His courage and the sacrifice he has made will not be forgotten."


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