Afghan mine kills British soldier

A British soldier has been killed and three others injured in an explosion in Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence has said.

Their vehicle hit a mine while on a routine patrol in Helmand province in the south of the country.

The four soldiers were from the Household Cavalry Regiment. The next of kin have been informed.

The death brings the number of UK troops killed in Afghanistan since 2001 to 95.

The three wounded soldiers were not seriously injured. An Afghan translator working with the British forces was also injured in the explosion, which happened at 1350 BST on Friday in the Nowzad area of Helmand.

BBC correspondent Alistair Leithead said the incident happened on the limits of an area known to be Taleban-controlled.

He said commanders had yet to establish whether the mine was left over from the Soviet era or left there by insurgents.

An MoD spokesman said the casualties were taken to the International Security Assistance Force medical facilities at Camp Bastion, where the soldier was pronounced dead on arrival.