British soldier killed in Afghanistan blast

KABUL, May 26 (Reuters) A British soldier was killed and four wounded in an explosion in an operation against Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan, the Britain's Ministry of Defence said today.

The soldier from the 1st Battalion the Grenadier Guards died yesterday evening during a mission to clear a Taliban-occupied compound on the outskirts of Garmser, in Helmand province in southern Afghanistan.

A NATO statement released earlier said one alliance soldier was killed and four wounded in a clash with insurgents.

In a separate incident, a suicide bomber on foot attacked a government vehicle in Kandahar killing himself and wounding three policemen, witnesses said.

The soldier was killed and four wounded when a British force destroyed a Taliban stronghold with artillery, mortar and small arms fire and then began clearing Taliban positions.

''During this phase of the operation there was an explosion ... which resulted in five casualties,'' the Ministry of Defence statement said.

A ministry spokeswoman said an investigation was under way into what caused the explosion.

Three of the wounded soldiers were seriously hurt and they were evacuated by helicopter to a field hospital at the British desert base Camp Bastion.

The guardsman's family have been informed of his death, but his name was not released.

Britain has sent thousands of troops to Helmand province in southern Afghanistan as part of a NATO peacekeeping force.

REUTERS ABM BD1746