British soldier killed by explosion in Helmand province

A soldier from 2nd Battalion, the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment was killed today in an explosion in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand province, southern Afghanistan. He was attached to 1st Battalion, the Royal Gurkha Rifles. The body of Gurkha Suraj Gurung, 22, recently married, and killed by a suicide bomber in Nahr-e Saraj on Saturday, was flown to Britain today. The army described him as "one of the very best of his generation and almost certainly destined for promotion". Three hundred and forty UK troops have died since military operations in Afghanistan began in 2001.