British soldier dies from Afghanistan wounds

A British soldier has died in a UK hospital from gunshot wounds sustained in Afghanistan last month. The soldier, from 2nd Battalion the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment, was shot in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand province on 23 August. He died yesterday at the Queen Elizabeth hospital in Birmingham and his family have been informed, the Ministry of Defence has said. He had been serving as part of 1st Battalion the Royal Gurkha Rifles Battle Group in Combined Force Nahr-e Saraj (South). Lieutenant Colonel James Carr-Smith, spokesman for Task Force Helmand, said: "The soldier was conducting interdiction and disrupt operations in southern Nahr-e Saraj when he was struck by small arms fire on 23 August. His bravery and commitment in the face of danger will never be forgotten." There have been 335 British soldiers killed since the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001.