UK soldier dies in Afghan accident

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The soldier, from 1st Battalion Royal Anglian Regiment, died from injuries suffered during the incident at the British base in Sangin.

The MoD said in a statement: "The circumstances of the accident will be the subject of an investigation and no further details will be released until that investigation is complete, but we can confirm that the soldiers death was not the result of enemy action."

An MoD spokeswoman would not discuss the circumstances of the death, but stated the special investigation branch of the Royal Military Police would be looking into the incident.

The dead soldier's family have been informed, she added.

The death is the 55th fatality among British forces personnel in Afghanistan since the start of operations in November 2001.

The incident, in Helmand Province, comes during a visit by Foreign Office minister Kim Howells, who is meeting British troops in the Middle East country.

The last soldier to be killed in Afghanistan was Guardsman Simon Davison who died on May 3 after being wounded during a gunfight with Taliban fighters.

The 22-year-old soldier, born in Newcastle upon Tyne, was in 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards. and was injured as he manned a checkpoint near the town of Garmsir in Helmand.