British soldier dies after Afghan blast

A soldier who was injured in Afghanistan while clearing roadside bombs has died, the Ministry of Defence said today.

The soldier, from 11 Explosive Ordnance Disposal Regiment, Royal Logistics Corps, was on an operation to clear improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in the Nahr-e Saraj (South) district of Helmand Province on Monday when one bomb detonated.

The soldier was taken to Camp Bastion in Helmand before being evacuated to the Queen Elizabeth NHS Hospital in Birmingham, and died on Tuesday, the MoD said.

Spokesman for Task Force Helmand Lieutenant Colonel Tim Purbrick said he announced the death "with much sadness".

He said: "The soldier was neutralising a complex set of improvised explosive devices which had been sown in an alleyway between two compounds when one of the devices detonated.

"Immediate first aid was provided and a helicopter medical emergency response team recovered the casualty to the military hospital in Camp Bastion."

The death takes the number of UK military personnel who have died since operations in Afghanistan began in 2001 to 364.