It is with deep regret that the MOD must confirm the death of a British soldier from 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment in Afghanistan today, Friday 13 April 2007.
The soldier was killed by small arms fire during a routine patrol.
Members of A Company, 1st Battalion Royal Anglian Regiment, known as the Vikings, are currently based near the town of Now Zad, in north-west Helmand Province in southern Afghanistan.
At around 0930 hrs local time members of A company were returning from a routine security reassurance patrol, when they spotted a five-man Taliban team attempting to set-up an ambush.
The Taliban were challenged and engaged by the patrol. During the initial firefight the patrol was then engaged by larger Taliban force using mortars, 107mm rockets, Rocket Propelled Grenades, heavy machine guns and small arms from multiple firing positions.
It was during this firefight that a member of the patrol received serious gunshot wounds and a Chinook helicopter from the Incident Response Team (IRT) rushed to the scene. supported by an Apache attack helicopter. THe Chinook landed at the scene under constant fire, while the Apache engaged the Taliban forces with its 30mm cannon.
The IRT team collected the casualty and evacuated him to medical facilities at the main British base at Camp Bastion.
Despite the best efforts of the medics onboard the casualty was pronounced dead-on-arrival by a doctor.
The patrol were later engaged by another large Taliban force in a contact which lasted over two hours. An initial estimate is that a significant number of the enemy were killed. During this period, two more soldiers from the Vikings were wounded.
The IRT helicopter and its Apache returned to the scene and, again under fire, collected the two soldiers and took them for treatment at Camp Bastion. Their condition is not serious.
Lieutenant Colonel Charlie Mayo, Task Force Helmand spokesman, said:
"Reassurance patrols are one of the many activities ISAF soldiers carry out to develop a relationship with the local Afghan population."
The IRT helicopter is equipped and staffed for any medical emergency. Their mission is to rescue the wounded and stabilise them before they can be transported for urgent treatment at the military field hospital at Camp Bastion.
The soldier’s next of kin have been informed and have requested a period of time before further details are released.
The soldier was killed by small arms fire during a routine patrol.
Members of A Company, 1st Battalion Royal Anglian Regiment, known as the Vikings, are currently based near the town of Now Zad, in north-west Helmand Province in southern Afghanistan.
At around 0930 hrs local time members of A company were returning from a routine security reassurance patrol, when they spotted a five-man Taliban team attempting to set-up an ambush.
The Taliban were challenged and engaged by the patrol. During the initial firefight the patrol was then engaged by larger Taliban force using mortars, 107mm rockets, Rocket Propelled Grenades, heavy machine guns and small arms from multiple firing positions.
It was during this firefight that a member of the patrol received serious gunshot wounds and a Chinook helicopter from the Incident Response Team (IRT) rushed to the scene. supported by an Apache attack helicopter. THe Chinook landed at the scene under constant fire, while the Apache engaged the Taliban forces with its 30mm cannon.
The IRT team collected the casualty and evacuated him to medical facilities at the main British base at Camp Bastion.
Despite the best efforts of the medics onboard the casualty was pronounced dead-on-arrival by a doctor.
The patrol were later engaged by another large Taliban force in a contact which lasted over two hours. An initial estimate is that a significant number of the enemy were killed. During this period, two more soldiers from the Vikings were wounded.
The IRT helicopter and its Apache returned to the scene and, again under fire, collected the two soldiers and took them for treatment at Camp Bastion. Their condition is not serious.
Lieutenant Colonel Charlie Mayo, Task Force Helmand spokesman, said:
"Reassurance patrols are one of the many activities ISAF soldiers carry out to develop a relationship with the local Afghan population."
The IRT helicopter is equipped and staffed for any medical emergency. Their mission is to rescue the wounded and stabilise them before they can be transported for urgent treatment at the military field hospital at Camp Bastion.
The soldier’s next of kin have been informed and have requested a period of time before further details are released.
