ianstone
02-26-2010, 06:35 PM
Two NATO troops killed in AfghanistaFeb 26, 6:23 am ET
KABUL (AFP) – Two NATO soldiers have died in Afghanistan, including one Briton who died during a major assault on a poppy-growing region, officials said Friday.
Britain's Ministry of Defence said one of its soldiers died after an explosion near a checkpoint in the Nad Ali district of Helmand province as part of Operation Mushtarak Friday.
The soldier, from 28 Engineer Regiment and attached to the Brigade Reconnaissance Force, has not yet been identified but relatives have been informed of his death.
Operation Mushtarak is a push by 15,000 US-led troops in a bid to wrest control of the Marjah and Nad Ali areas of Helmand in southern Afghanistan from the Taliban.
"It is my sad duty to inform you that a soldier from 28 Engineer Regiment, serving with the Brigade Reconnaissance Force, was killed this morning," said military spokesman David Wakefield.
"He was on a dismounted patrol against insurgents in an area about three kilometres south of Check Point Shamal Storrei, to the west of Lashkar Gah, when he was caught by an explosion.
"We have lost one of our comrades but his courage in the face of danger, relentlessly taking the fight to the enemy, will be remembered."
Another soldier was killed in the south on Thursday "as a result of small arms fire" separately from Mushtarak, a NATO statement said earlier.
Fourteen foreign soldiers have died in Operation Mushtarak since its launch on February 13. A total of 62 have died in Afghanistan so far this year, according to an AFP tally based on that kept by the icasualties.org (http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/afp/wl_sthasia_afp/storytext/afghanistanunrestnatobritain/35272086/SIG=10o4d7itl/*http://icasualties.org) website.
There are 121,000 US-led and NATO troops in Afghanistan battling a Taliban-led insurgency that has been raging since a US-led invasion overthrew the Islamists' regime in late 2001.
From us all, our deepest sympathy to the families of these brave men. As my brother in law is a serving WO1 SMI RE, This loss is close to home. The Royal Engineers. First in and last out. R.I.P.
KABUL (AFP) – Two NATO soldiers have died in Afghanistan, including one Briton who died during a major assault on a poppy-growing region, officials said Friday.
Britain's Ministry of Defence said one of its soldiers died after an explosion near a checkpoint in the Nad Ali district of Helmand province as part of Operation Mushtarak Friday.
The soldier, from 28 Engineer Regiment and attached to the Brigade Reconnaissance Force, has not yet been identified but relatives have been informed of his death.
Operation Mushtarak is a push by 15,000 US-led troops in a bid to wrest control of the Marjah and Nad Ali areas of Helmand in southern Afghanistan from the Taliban.
"It is my sad duty to inform you that a soldier from 28 Engineer Regiment, serving with the Brigade Reconnaissance Force, was killed this morning," said military spokesman David Wakefield.
"He was on a dismounted patrol against insurgents in an area about three kilometres south of Check Point Shamal Storrei, to the west of Lashkar Gah, when he was caught by an explosion.
"We have lost one of our comrades but his courage in the face of danger, relentlessly taking the fight to the enemy, will be remembered."
Another soldier was killed in the south on Thursday "as a result of small arms fire" separately from Mushtarak, a NATO statement said earlier.
Fourteen foreign soldiers have died in Operation Mushtarak since its launch on February 13. A total of 62 have died in Afghanistan so far this year, according to an AFP tally based on that kept by the icasualties.org (http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/afp/wl_sthasia_afp/storytext/afghanistanunrestnatobritain/35272086/SIG=10o4d7itl/*http://icasualties.org) website.
There are 121,000 US-led and NATO troops in Afghanistan battling a Taliban-led insurgency that has been raging since a US-led invasion overthrew the Islamists' regime in late 2001.
From us all, our deepest sympathy to the families of these brave men. As my brother in law is a serving WO1 SMI RE, This loss is close to home. The Royal Engineers. First in and last out. R.I.P.