Soldier killed in Afghanistan to be named: report

Tue Dec 29, 2009, 3:28 am ET

LONDON (AFP) –

A (NATO forces) soldier killed in an explosion in southern Afghanistan will be named on Tuesday, a report said.

The soldier, from the 3rd Battalion, The Rifles, died on Monday as a result of the blast while on patrol in the Kajaki area of southern Helmand province where British troops are based, the Press Association said.

"He was caught by an explosion while on patrol in the Kajaki area of Helmand Province. His courage and his sacrifice will not be forgotten," said Lieutenant Colonel David Wakefield, a spokesman for Task Force Helmand.

His death brings the number of British troops killed since the US-led invasion in 2001 to oust the Taliban regime to 244, with 107 killed since the beginning of this year.

His family has been informed, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown's government recently announced a 150-million-pound programme to combat the threat of improvised explosive devices, which cause the vast majority of troop deaths.

Afghan army says one soldier, 10 Taliban fighters killed after town captured

DPA, Tue, 29 Dec 2009 08:21:57 GMT 

Kunduz, Afghanistan -

An Afghan soldier and 10 Taliban fighters were killed after they captured a key town in northern province of Baghlan, officials said Tuesday. Dozens of Taliban fighters stormed police posts in Kuhna Qala area of the Baghlan-e-Markazi district on Monday night, sparking combat that lasted for several hours, Abdul Wakil Hasas, an army commander in the region, said.

"Ten Taliban (fighters) were killed in the fight with army and police forces," he said, adding that one soldier was killed and two troops were wounded.

The Taliban fighters had captured the main town for two hours "because our forces tactically retreated from the area," but pushed the Taliban fighters out of the area when the reinforcements arrived, a security official in the area who declined to be named said.

The town is located on the main highway linking the border with Tajikistan in the neighbouring Kunduz province to the capital city.

Taliban fighters are increasingly expanding their presence in the previously peaceful northern region. More than 4,000 German troops are stationed in the region as part of about 110,000 NATO-led troops in the country.

Local media also quoted villagers saying that a civilian man and three of his sons were also killed when the NATO air force targeted the area.

Provincial police chief Kabir Andarabi did not confirm the allegation, saying an investigation was underway.

The report of more civilian deaths by NATO airstrikes came one day after President Hamid Karzai ordered an investigation into an international military operation in the eastern province of Kunar, in which 10 civilians including eight school boys were reported killed.

NATO said on Tuesday that it was investigating the incident.