| Notes: | RMP. Died 3/11/2009. Killed by hostile small arms fire at a check point at Nad-El-Ali District, Afghanistan. Cpl S Boote RMP, WOI D Chant, Sgt M Teford and Guardsman J Major all of the Grenadier Guards were killed in the same incident. Born 2/5/1985. Nicholas Charles Smith.
Extract from the Irish Independent, 5/11/2009; Soldiers Killed by 'rogue' policeman.
Five soldiers were shot dead by a British trained Afghan policeman who "went rogue" and attacked the inside a military compound.
Warrant Officer Darren Chant, Sergeant Matthew Telford and Guardsman James Major from the Grenadier Guards died alongside Acting Corporal Steven Boot and Corporal Nicholas Webster-Smith from the Royal Military Police.
They were killed in Nad-e'Ali district of Helmand Province yesterday.
The British Ministry of Defence named the men but said no further details would yet be released.
British troops are thought to be involved in a manhunt for the assassin named by tribal elders as Taliban member Gulbuddin another six British soldiers and two Afghan policemen were wounded in the shooting, which was claimed by the Tailban.
Last night, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown paid tribute to the soldiers describing their deaths as a "terrible loss". He promised to press on with the strategy of training Afghan soldiers and police.
Mr Brown said " It appears that they were targeted because they were engaged in what our enemies fear most - they were mentoring and strengthening Afghan forces to make Afghanistan more secure."
The British soldiers had been working at the police check point for about a fortnight, mentoring Afghan National Police officers. Reports suggested they had taken off their armour and were drinking tea with Afghan colleagues when the policeman opened fire. |
UNITED KINGDOM
