A British soldier has been killed in combat in Afghanistan's southern Helmand province, Britain's Defence Ministry said today.
The soldier's death, which occurred yesterday, brought to 145 the number of British troops killed in Afghanistan since 2001.
Britain has about 8,000 troops based in Afghanistan as part of a Nato force and most of them are deployed in Helmand where Taliban insurgents are highly active.
Meanwhile, nearly 3,000 US soldiers who recently arrived in Afghanistan to secure two violent provinces have begun operations and are already seeing combat.
Militants have attacked several of the unit's patrols with rifles and rocket-propelled grenades, including one ambush by 30 insurgents, Lt Col Steve Osterholzer, the brigade spokesman, said.
The new troops are the first wave of an expected surge of reinforcements this year. The process began to take shape under former president George Bush but has been given impetus by President Barack Obama's call for an increased focus on Afghanistan.
Agencies
