THE son of a SAS hero was one of the latest British soldiers to be killed in Afghanistan, it emerged tonight.

Sergeant Paul McAleese, 29, of 2nd Battalion The Rifles, died alongside Private Jonathan Young, 18, of 3rd Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment in Helmand province yesterday, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said.

Sgt McAleese's father, John McAleese, was at the centre of the dramatic raid that ended a siege on the Iranian Embassy, in London, in 1980.

He was watched by millions of television viewers as windows were blown out moments before the building was stormed and 19 hostages rescued from fanatical gunmen.

The deaths, which took to 206 the number of UK troops killed in the conflict, came as voters went to the polls in the country yesterday.

The MoD said the troops were on a routine patrol not connected with election security.

Sgt McAleese leaves a widow, Jo, and a son, Charley, who was born a week before his deployment to Afghanistan.

She said: "Mac, my husband, my best friend, my hero.

"You were an amazing Daddy to Charley and the best husband I could have ever asked for. We will love you and miss you for ever. We will always be so proud of what you achieved in your life and I am so, so proud to be your wife."

He was born in Hereford on October 18 1979 and began his Army training in March 1997.

Lieutenant Colonel Rob Thomson MBE, Commanding Officer 2 Rifles Battle Group, said: "He had a huge rucksack full of talents - everyone looked up to him and wanted to be in his team. Militarily, there was nothing that he wasnt good at."

He added: "Here in Afghanistan he has fought in Kajaki and in Sangin and died as a Platoon Sergeant, the job of all jobs, on election day, helping to give democracy a chance in Sangin."

Rob Hilliard, a 2nd Lieutenant and 10 Platoon Commander, revealed Sgt McAleese died trying to help a wounded comrade.

Sgt McAleese was killed while trying to get to a fellow British soldier who had been hit in an IED strike - fearlessly fulfilling his role as sergeant - a role he had excelled at in recent weeks in the most unimaginable of circumstances," he said.

Pte Young, born in Hull, joined the Army in February last year and was deployed to Afghanistan on August 2 as part of reinforcements sent to the country to boost numbers after a wave of casualties.

He is understood to be the first of the extra service personnel to be killed.

Defence chiefs sent 125 extra soldiers at the end of last month to maintain troop levels after a record number of injuries and deaths in July.

Pte Young leaves his mother, Angela, brother, Carl, sister, Leah and girlfriend, Nicola.

Lieutenant Colonel Tom Vallings, Commanding Officer 3 Yorks, said: "He had already set his mark as a robust and determined soldier who always put his friends first. He had a strength of character that forced him to be at the very centre of events and it was no surprise that he volunteered to deploy at Afghanistan at short notice."

Lieutenant Colonel Rob Thomson, Commanding Officer 2 Rifles Battle Group, added: "Private Young is a hero in my book. A soldier from the Yorkshire Regiment, he volunteered to come to Afghanistan to reinforce my Battle Group.

"I will always be in his debt. He died on Election Day, helping to give democracy a chance in Sangin."

Major Sam Humphris, Officer Commanding Burma Company 3 Yorks, described Pte Young as "a regimental star in the making".