A BRITISH soldier was killed yesterday during a dramatic gun battle as troops rescued six of their comrades held by a rebel militia gang deep in the Sierra Leone jungle.

Another British soldier was seriously injured, although his wounds were not life-threatening, and a further 11 received minor injuries, said the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

All six British hostages, and a Sierra Leone official held with them, were rescued unharmed.

They were taken to the Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship Sir Percivale to be debriefed and to contact their families.

The MoD said 25 members of the West Side Boys gang, which had been holding the hostages at a camp 50 miles east of Freetown, were killed in the fierce gun battle that erupted as paratroopers swooped on their hideout after it was revealed the rebels had been staging mock executions on their British captives.

Three of the dead rebels were women, who Chief of the Defence Staff Sir Charles Guthrie said had been fighting alongside the men.

In addition, 18 rebels, including the rebel leader "Brigadier" Foday Kallay, were captured and handed over to United Nations forces and the Sierra Leone government.

Prime Minister Tony Blair praised the soldiers and said his prayers were with the families of those involved in the mission.

The serviceman who died was the first British casualty in Sierra Leone. No details of his regiment were released by the MoD.

Earlier, it said the 1st Battalion the Parachute Regiment, the RAF, Army helicopters and the Royal Navy were involved in the mission to rescue the six Royal Irish Regiment soldiers, who had been held captive since August 25.

News of the death cast a shadow over the joy of the families of the rescued hostages.

Major John Douglas, second-in-command of the 1st Battalion the Royal Irish Regiment, said last night: "Obviously, the reaction from the families of the six rescued soldiers is one of devastation that anybody should be hurt in this operation."

Mr Blair, who authorised the mission, said: "I cannot pay high enough tribute to the skill, the professionalism and the courage of the armed forces involved.

"Inevitably, in such an operation as this, there are casualties. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families. This was an operation of immense danger in the face of armed resistance."

News of the gun battle, undertaken after negotiations broke down and the rebels began staging mock executions, broke just after 9.30am yesterday.

Sir Charles announced during a live TV interview on BBC1 that the mission had begun at 6.30am, and warned it was "difficult and dangerous".

The rescue squad began its mission by swooping into the jungle by helicopter.

Sir Charles said the British forces moved in on the militia's base, spread across both sides of Rokel Creek, close to Magbeni, shortly before 6.30am.

"The West Side Boys were not a pushover, they fought very hard," Sir Charles said. "The creek was surrounded by mango swamp and thick vegetation."

As paras and other forces battled to gain control of three strategic points, there was "a significant exchange of fire", he said.

The Paras immediately came under sustained attack from West Side Boys armed with heavy machine guns in the camps.

Mortars were used against rebels, firing on them from the cover of the surrounding jungle.

With the aid of the helicopters' firepower, the rebels were beaten back, only to regroup and launch a fresh assault.

The hostages were swiftly identified and removed to safety.

Rescuers then fought to escape with their equipment, which included a Land-Rover with a 50mm mounted machine gun. MoD sources said they were successful.

The whole operation lasted 90 minutes.

Shadow defence secretary Iain Duncan Smith said: "We send our condolences to the family of the soldier who was killed and our best wishes go to those that were wounded and we wish them a full recovery."

Earlier he had repeated his call for British troops to be pulled out of Sierra Leone because of confusion over their role there