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British soldier killed in Afghanistan: military
Kabul (AFP) Dec 25, 2008 A British Royal Marine was shot dead on Christmas Eve while trying to drive "enemy forces" from a volatile district in southern Afghanistan, the British military said Thursday. The soldier, whose identity was not released, was the second to be killed on Wednesday, after the US military said one of its troopers was killed in the east of the country in an insurgent attack. The marine was killed in the Nad Ali district of southern Helmand province, the British defence ministry said in a statement. "He was taking part in an operation to remove enemy forces from the north of the district," it said. "The death of this Royal Marine is a tragic loss and coming so close to Christmas is particularly poignant," said the British military's spokeswoman in Helmand, Commander Paula Rowe. The soldier was shot while helping clear a compound, another spokesman said. His death was earlier announced by the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force, under which the British troops are serving alongside those of nearly 40 other nations. ISAF gave no details about the incident. About 70,000 international soldiers are deployed in Afghanistan to help the government fight an insurgency led by the extremist Taliban, who ruled between 1996 and 2001. Around 290 foreign soldiers fighting in Afghanistan have lost their lives this year, the most violent of an insurgency that began after a US-led invasion toppled the Taliban regime in late 2001. Most of the soldiers have been killed in insurgent attacks but the tally, compiled by the icasualties.org website that tracks casualties in Afghanistan and Iraq, includes those who die in accidents and from natural causes. Share This Article With Planet Earth
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