Soldier Killed, Two Wounded in Kabul Attack

A British soldier was killed and two wounded when a suicide bomber rammed a car into their convoy in Kabul, the Afghan capital, the Ministry of Defense said yesterday. The soldiers, all from 16 Signal Regiment, were on patrol on the eastern outskirts of Kabul on Monday afternoon when the suicide bomber attacked. They were evacuated to a military hospital where one of them died from his wounds.

The soldiers have not been named but their next of kin have been informed, the MoD said. Three civilians were killed in the attack and 12 wounded, according to Afghan officials.

Taliban leaders have stepped up suicide attacks in Kabul and other Afghan towns in their efforts to demoralize the Karzai government and Nato-led forces in a war of attrition. The number of insurgent attacks has increased by 50% so far this year over 2007.

More than 250 civilians were killed in July, the largest in any month in the last six years, according to figures from national and international civil agencies in Afghanistan.

The large majority of the 8,000 British troops in the country are based in Helmand province in the south. About 500 are in Kabul under the command of Nato's international security assistance force, Isaf. They carry out patrols in armored vehicles in the city and train the Afghan police force.

Since 2001, 115 British armed forces personnel have been killed in Afghanistan, 88 as a result of hostile action. Eighteen have been killed in the past two months. During a visit to Helmand province last week, Des Browne, the defence secretary, said British troops had faced "very tough months" and "paid a high price ... for the progress that we have made".