Afghan death soldier to be named

12 April 2012

A British soldier killed by enemy fire in Afghanistan on Monday is expected to be named.

The soldier from 29 Commando Royal Artillery was at a Forward Operating Base in the Gereshk area of Helmand province when he was wounded.

He received immediate medical treatment and was taken by helicopter to the ISAF military hospital at Kandahar, but subsequently died of his wounds.

His next of kin has been informed.

Meanwhile, Defence Secretary John Hutton is expected to reject demands for the immediate withdrawal of lightly-armoured Snatch Land Rovers from operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Mr Hutton is to make a statement to MPs amid widespread complaints that the vehicles have been to blame for the deaths of dozens of soldiers.

The controversy over the use of the Land Rovers reignited last month when an SAS commander in Afghanistan, Major Sebastian Morley, resigned in protest at the equipment available to troops.

He was said to have been angered at the deaths of four of his soldiers - including Corporal Sarah Bryant, the first female casualty in Afghanistan - who were killed when their Snatch vehicle hit a land mine in Helmand last June.

Last month Mr Hutton said he was considering holding a full inquiry into the continued use of the vehicles in operations.

A probe has been requested by several relatives of troops who have died, including Sue Smith - mother of Private Philip Hewett, who was killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq in 2005.

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