A British soldier has been killed and five others "very seriously injured" by a landmine in Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has said.
They were part of a Nato-led security patrol which had strayed into an unmarked minefield.
A seventh soldier received minor injuries in the incident in Helmand province, southern Afghanistan.
The total number of UK troops killed while on operations in Afghanistan since 2001 now stands at 38.
'Injured evacuated'
The MoD said the injured were being treated at a military medical facility at the main British base in Helmand, Camp Bastion, and that it was too soon to establish exactly how the incident happened.
A statement from the headquarters of the Nato-led International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) in Kabul confirmed seven soldiers were injured.
"There was no contact with insurgents during the incident," it said.
"An extraction operation was successfully undertaken and the injured evacuated to an Isaf medical facility.
"Sadly one soldier has since died of his wounds."
No further details of the dead soldier will be released until his next of kin have been informed.
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