AN RAF serviceman based in the region has been killed in southern Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said yesterday.

The gunner, from 34 Squadron RAF Regiment, based at RAF Leeming, North Yorkshire, died on Thursday afternoon.

The airman, who has not been named, was on patrol near Camp Bastion, in Helmand province, and died while trying to prevent enemy attacks on the key base.

The man’s family have been informed.

A statement on the MoD website, said he was killed as the result of an explosion close to the camp.

Lieutenant Colonel Nick Richardson, of Task Force Helmand, called his death a “true loss”.

He said: “He will be mourned by his friends, colleagues and all of us serving in Helmand province.

“We know that, while our loss is heartfelt, it is nothing compared to the sorrow of his family, to whom we extend our deepest sympathies.

“The death of this courageous Royal Air Force Regiment gunner is a true loss.”

The gunner’s death is the first loss experienced by RAF Leeming during the conflict.

The airman was taking part in a routine patrol to prevent Taliban insurgents launching an attack on Camp Bastion, the UK’s main base in Helmand.

The role of 34 Squadron RAF Regiment is to protect the security of the airfield at the base.

A spokesman for RAF Leeming said the base would be paying its own tribute to the gunner in due course.

The airman’s death takes to 188 the number of British service personnel killed in action in Afghanistan since the beginning of the conflict in 2001.

The total number of deaths, including accidents and illnesses, is 219.