British soldier killed in road accident in S Afghanistan
www.chinaview.cn 2007-11-10 04:15:12
LONDON, Nov. 9 (Xinhua) -- The British Defense Ministry said on Friday that a British soldier was killed in a road accident in southern Afghanistan.
A soldier serving with 36 Engineer Regiment was killed when the vehicle he was traveling in left the road rolled off a bridge during an operation in support of the Afghan National Army near the district center of Sangin in Helmand Province, the ministry said in a statement.
"Immediate medical assistance was provided, but sadly one soldier was declared dead at the scene. There were no enemy forces involved." the ministry said.
"Another soldier and an interpreter were also injured, but their injuries are not life threatening." the ministry added.
Britain currently has over 6,000 soldiers based in Afghanistan. It will increase its troop level to around 7,700 over the course of the year. Some 83 British soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since November 2001.
British forces are deployed in Afghanistan in support of the UN authorized, NATO led International Security Assistance Force mission and as part of the U.S. led Operation Enduring Freedom.
