UK soldier in Afghan blast named

Corporal Barnes was killed on duty in southern Afghanistan

The British soldier killed in southern Afghanistan has been named by the Ministry of Defence as Jason Barnes.

Corporal Barnes, 25, served with the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, and was attached to the Parachute Regiment.

He was killed by an explosive device as he drove an ambulance back to base after assisting in the evacuation of two of his fellow soldiers.

Cpl Barnes, from Exeter in Devon, leaves behind a wife, Diana.

"He died helping others when he could have taken an easier path, and in doing so demonstrated the commitment and bloody-minded determination that runs so deeply through the battalion," Lieutenant Colonel Joe O'Sullivan, 2 Para's commanding officer, said.

Another soldier from 2 Para was critically wounded in a mine blast as British troops took on Taliban militants in the Kajaki area of Helmand Province on Tuesday evening local time.

After assisting with the evacuation of the injured serviceman by helicopter, Cpl Barnes was driving a Vector army ambulance back to base when it was hit by a suspected insurgent explosive device.

Despite medics' efforts, he died a few minutes later.

"Died as he lived"

"He was a loving husband and will be sadly missed," his wife Diana said.

His colleagues and senior officers said he was a hard-working soldier with a "bright future" who always went out of his way to help.

"He died as he lived, placing others first and doing what he wanted to do, so well, without fear or complaint," Major Grant Haywood said

"He will be truly missed by all here and our thoughts are with his wife, family and friends."

Cpl Barnes joined the Army at the age of 16 in 1999, choosing to specialise in maintaining weapons as a Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers armourer.

Cpl Barnes's death took to 111 the number of British service personnel who have lost their lives since the start of operations in Afghanistan in November 2001.