UK soldier killed in Afghanistan
There are 5000 British soldiers in Afghanistan and another 8000 in Iraq.
A British soldier has been killed overnight in the southern Helmand province of Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said.
The MoD said the soldier was "shot and killed" in a clash with "enemy insurgents" in northern Helmand.
But it would not confirm if the death happened during an attack on a British base. Next of kin are being informed.
The soldier is the eighth to have died this month, and brings the number of UK fatalities since 2001 to 21.
Afghanistan is going through its bloodiest period since the fall of the Taleban five years ago.
'Deep regret'
A MoD spokeswoman said: "It is with deep regret that the MoD can confirm the death of a British soldier during a contact with enemy insurgents in northern Helmand, Afghanistan, at approximately 0500 local time.
"The soldier was shot and killed during an attack in northern Helmand.
"Next of kin are being informed and no further details will be released until that process is completed."
Eight troops have died in Afghanistan this month
The soldier is the eighth British soldier to have died in Afghanistan this month.
Corporal Bryan Budd, of the 3rd Battalion, the Parachute Regiment, died in a gun battle with Taleban forces in Helmand province, southern Afghanistan, on 20 August.
Lance Corporal Sean Tansey, 26, of the Household Cavalry Regiment, died in an accident as he repaired a damaged Scimitar tank at a military base in Helmand province on 12 August.
On 9 August Private Leigh Reeves, 25, from the Royal Logistics Corp was killed in a road crash at Camp Souta in Kabul, while Private Andrew Barrie Cutts of 13 Air Assault Support Regiment died taking part in action in Musa Qala, Helmand province, on 6 August.
On 1 August, three soldiers were killed after a vehicle patrol was ambushed by militants in a northern district of Helmand province.
They were Captain Alex Eida, 29, who served in the 7 Parachute Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery, and 2nd Lieutenant Ralph Johnson, 24, and Lance Corporal Ross Nicholl, 27, both from the Household Cavalry Regiment.
UK forces in Helmand have recently taken over security of the troubled province. About 5,000 personnel are currently serving in Afghanistan.
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British military fatalities in Afghanistan
OUR SOURCES
Information on British fatalities is released by the Ministry of Defence
In some cases additional information is included from other sources such as official reports or relatives
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The total number of UK troops killed while on operations in Afghanistan since 2001 has risen to 21 after a soldier was killed on 27 August 2006 in a clash with insurgents.
Of these, seven are known to have died either as a result of illness, non-combat injuries or accidents.
Details of all the dead are below; any photographs are supplied by the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
AUGUST 2006
A soldier died in a gun battle with "enemy insurgents" in the northern part of the Helmand province in the south of Afghanistan on 27 August, the MoD said.
The soldier's identity and more details on his death were being withheld until next of kin had been notified, the MoD said.
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Corporal Bryan Budd, of the 3rd Battalion, the Parachute Regiment, died in a gun battle with Taleban forces in Helmand province, southern Afghanistan, on 20 August.
Cpl Budd, 29, from Ripon, North Yorkshire, had a two-year-old daughter and his wife, Lorena, is expecting a second child in September.
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Lance Corporal Sean Tansey, 26, of the Household Cavalry Regiment, died in an accident as he repaired a damaged Scimitar tank at a military base in Helmand province on 12 August.
L/Cpl Tansey, who had previously served in Iraq, was single and from Newcastle. He joined the Lifeguards in 1999 and spent most of his time in reconnaissance.
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On 9 August Private Leigh Reeves, 25, from the Royal Logistics Corp was killed in a road crash at Camp Souta in Kabul.
The driver had been in Afghanistan since March as part of the British Forces Transport Troop.
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Private Andrew Barrie Cutts of 13 Air Assault Support Regiment was taking part in an action in Musa Qala, Helmand province, against insurgents when he was killed on 6 August.
Troops came under "substantial fire" from Taleban during the operation, which involved 500 British troops - their largest action against the Taleban - and Afghan forces.
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Three British soldiers were killed after a vehicle patrol was ambushed by militants in a northern district of Helmand province in southern Afghanistan on 1 August.
Captain Alex Eida served with the 7 Parachute Regiment
They were Captain Alex Eida, 29, who served in the 7 Parachute Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery, and 2nd Lieutenant Ralph Johnson, 24, and Lance Corporal Ross Nicholl, 27, both from the Household Cavalry Regiment.
The Ministry of Defence said the patrol came under attack from insurgents armed with rocket-propelled grenades and a heavy machine gun.
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JULY 2006
Private Damien Raymond Jackson, 19, of South Shields, Tyne and Wear, from the 3 Para Battle Group, was shot and killed while on patrol near the town of Sangin on 5 July. He died while he was being given treatment.
His father Daniel said of his son: "I wish everyone to know just how extremely proud I am of my son Damien - of all that he has achieved in his lifetime and of the fact that he died, when duty called, protecting others, in the service of his country."
The soldier, who was four days from his twentieth birthday, also served in Northern Ireland and Iraq.
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Hashmi was the first British Muslim soldier to die in Afghanistan
Corporal Peter Thorpe, 27, from Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, and Lance Corporal Jabron Hashmi, 24, from Bordersley Green, Birmingham, were killed on 1 July.
Cpl Thorpe had recently been approved for promotion to sergeant
A rocket-propelled grenade hit the government compound in Sangin where they were.
An Afghan interpreter was also killed in the attack and other soldiers were also reported to have been wounded.
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JUNE 2006
Two British soldiers were killed in fighting with Taleban forces in Afghanistan early in the morning of 27 June, officials have confirmed.
Captain David Patten, 38, who was from Aghadowey, near Coleraine, Northern Ireland, and Sergeant Paul Bartlett, 35, died.
The troops were part of a "planned detention operation" in Sangin, in the southern province of Helmand, when they were attacked by Taleban militia in a gun battle which lasted an hour.
A rocket-propelled grenade destroyed their vehicle.
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Captain Jim Philippson, 29, from 7 Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery, was killed in Afghanistan on Sunday 11 June.
Capt Philippson, from St Albans in Hertfordshire, was killed when a mobile patrol became involved in a firefight against suspected Taliban forces in Helmand Province, southern Afghanistan.
Lt Col David Hammond, his commanding officer, said: "Jim was a top quality officer in the best traditions of the Regiment and the British Army.
"Those around him were influenced not only by his commitment, passion and drive but also his enthusiasm and ready wit."
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Lance Corporal Peter Edward Craddock of 1st Battalion The Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment died in Lashkar Gah, southern Afghanistan on Monday 27 March.
L/Cpl Craddock died as a result of a road traffic accident and enemy forces are not thought to have been involved.
Known as "Tinhead" to his many friends because of his love of biscuits, L/Cpl Craddock served on operations in Northern Ireland and Kosovo, before deploying to Afghanistan in September 2005. He also took part in exercises in Canada, Belize, Kenya and Jamaica.
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Corporal Mark Cridge died in Camp Bastion, Afghanistan, on 22 March. His death is being investigated by the Army but no-one else is currently being linked with his death.
Cpl Cridge, who was 3 weeks short of his 26th birthday, joined the Army in April 2001.
He was working as part of a small team providing communications from Camp Bastion in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.
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OCTOBER 2005
Lance Corporal Steven Sherwood, 23, of the 1st Battalion, The Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Light Infantry was killed on 29 October 2005, as a result of hostile action in Mazar-e-Sharif, Afghanistan.
He was from Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire and had only been in the country a month before the fatal ambush, which also left five others injured.
The 1st Battalion's Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Nick Welch, paid this tribute.
He said: "Steven Sherwood, known to his mates as Shirley, was a thoroughly professional and dedicated soldier.
"A highly capable field soldier at the top of his profession, he was a key member of his battalion's close reconnaissance platoon."
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Private Jonathan Kitulagoda, 23, was killed by an apparent suicide bomb attack on 28 January 2004.
He came from Plymouth where he was a student.
A member of the Rifle Volunteers, a Territorial Army battalion, he was serving in Kabul with the International Security Assistance Force.
Lieutenant Colonel Ian Blewett, the Commanding Officer of The Rifle Volunteers, said: "Jonathan Kitulagoda was a young man of 23 who played a full and professional role as a TA infantryman, and was a popular and committed member of E (Devon and Dorset) Company.
"Together with his fellow soldiers, he volunteered for duty in Afghanistan, helping the efforts to bring peace and help ordinary Afghanis forge a better society."
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Corporal John Gregory, 30, from Catterick, North Yorkshire, and Sergeant Robert Busuttil, 30, from Swansea, died on 17 August 2002.
Cpl Gregory fired an SA80 rifle up to 10 times at Sergeant Busuttil, at a barbecue in Afghanistan. The incident occurred while both men were on peacekeeping duties in Kabul.
Wiltshire coroner David Masters recorded verdicts of unlawful killing on the death of Sergeant Busuttil and suicide on Cpl Gregory.
Cpl Gregory was two-and-a-half times over the drink drive limit, despite orders at their base which rationed beer to just two small cans a day.
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APRIL 2002
Private Darren John George, 23, from the Royal Anglian Regiment, who was serving with the International Security Assistance Force in Kabul, died in April 2002.
He was on duty in the Afghan capital shortly after the fall of the Taliban when a ricocheting bullet hit him in the head.
An inquest heard that father-of-one Pte George was shot by a colleague, who had a dizzy spell as he handled his machine gun.
The inquest jury returned a verdict of accidental death.
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