Blast death serviceman to be named

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A gunner from 51 Squadron, RAF Regiment, was killed alongside a civilian interpreter in the blast outside Kandahar Airfield, the main hub for Nato forces flying in and out of southern Afghanistan, in the early hours of Thursday.

Two other servicemen, also from the RAF Regiment, suffered minor injuries, as did a second interpreter.

The gunner's death brings the number of British forces personnel to have died in the country since November 2001 to 74, the Ministry of Defence said.

Last week three soldiers from the 1st Battalion, The Royal Anglian Regiment were killed in a so-called "friendly fire" incident in Helmand, the adjoining province to Kandahar.

Although part of the RAF, the RAF Regiment is a ground force, effectively operating as infantry troops, defending air bases such as Kandahar.

Members of the regiment were patrolling in a convoy at around midnight when the blast hit one of their vehicles. The casualties were taken by helicopter to a Nato hospital inside the base where the gunner was pronounced dead on arrival.

The interpreter died of his injuries later.

The latest fatality was described as a tragic loss for RAF Lossiemouth in Moray, Scotland, where 51 Squadron is based.

The base's Officer Commanding Group Captain Mark Roberts said: "Our prayers and thoughts go to the families of those involved, as well as the other members of 51 Squadron who will all feel the profound effect of this tragic loss."