British soldier killed by Taliban fighters

British soldier killed by Taliban fighters

A British soldier was killed by Taliban fighters in southern Afghanistan.

The soldier, who was not named, was killed by small arms fire while manning a checkpoint near the town of Garmsir in Helmand Province, the defense ministry said in a statement.

"At 0645 Afghanistan time the checkpoint came under attack from a force of between eight and ten lightly armed Taliban fighters," the statement said.

The soldier was air lifted for medical help but could not be saved.

NATO's International Security Assistance Force said earlier that a coalition soldier died "during an engagement with enemy fighters" in the region.

"This tragic loss will be felt right across the multinational taskforce," said NATO's regional commander Major General Jacko Page.