A BRITISH soldier from 3rd Battalion, The Rifles has been killed while on foot patrol in Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence has revealed.

The soldier was killed as a result of an explosion near the Forward Operating Base Zeebrugge, in the Kajaki area of Helmand Province, on Sunday morning.

Spokesman for Task Force Helmand, Lieutenant Colonel David Wakefield, said: "It is with deep sadness I must inform you that a British soldier, one of our comrades, was killed this morning by an explosion in the Kajaki area of northern Helmand.

"He was from 3 Rifles and was on a foot patrol against insurgents to the North-East of Forward Operating Base Zeebrugge, an area known by us as 3 Peaks, when the explosion happened.

"His courage and resolve, confronting the enemy and the dangers of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) day on day, will not be forgotten; we will remember him."

Next of kin have been informed and have asked for a period of grace before further details are released.

A number of soldiers from this region have been killed in Afghanistan while serving with the 3 Rifles Battle Group, including the most recent, married father-of-one Serjeant Steven Campbell, 30, from Pelton, near Chester-le-Street, County Durham.