British soldier killed by a mine blast in Afghanistan
Published Date:
25 June 2008
A BRITISH soldier was killed in an explosion while checking for mines in Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence said today.
The soldier, from 4th Battalion the Parachute Regiment, was killed as he dismounted from his vehicle in the Upper Sangin Valley yesterday afternoon.
No-one else was injured and next of kin has been informed.
The latest death takes to 108 the number of British service personnel who have died since the start of operations in Afghanistan in November 2001, and it came as the head of the armed forces warned that building up Afghanistan from its present "medieval status" will take decades.
The Chief of the Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup, said the military would need to be in the country for "some years", while the civilian reconstruction effort will take much longer.
In a speech, he emphasised that the key to long-term success in the country was establishing effective civilian governance.
The full article contains 166 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
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Last Updated:
25 June 2008 10:17 AM
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Source:
Edinburgh Evening News
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Location:
Edinburgh
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Related Topics:
Afghanistan
