It is with deep regret that the Ministry of Defence must confirm the death of a soldier from the 1st Battalion The Grenadier Guards in Afghanistan today, Saturday 9 June 2007.
Ministry of Defence
The soldier was killed at around 11.10 hrs local time roughly three kilometres outside of Sangin, Afghanistan.
The soldier was part of a combined Grenadier Guards and Afghan National Army (ANA) patrol that had been taking part in an operation to help widen and deepen irrigation ditches for locals in the area. They were en route to assist an ANA patrol that had been ambushed in a separate location when their Land Rover E-WMIK was caught in an explosion.
Following the explosion, the patrol came under sustained small arms and RPG fire from Taliban positions. Four other soldiers were injured in the ambush. The patrol fought off the Taliban until reinforcements arrived allowing them to extract the casualties from the damaged WMIK, whilst under fire from the Taliban.
They returned to a secure base where they were met by a medical team who pronounced one soldier dead at the scene. The four casualties were moved onwards by helicopter to Camp Bastion where they received medical treatment for minor injuries before being discharged later this evening.
The next of kin have now been informed.
