British troops in Afghanistan preparing for the festive season were given a tragic reminder of the continued danger in the country when a soldier from the Royal Engineers was killed in action.
The serviceman was killed as a result of enemy fire while on operations east of Kabul on Monday.
His next of kin have been informed and have requested the customary period of grace before further details are released, said a Ministry of Defence spokesman.
The death takes to 447 the number of UK service members who have lost their lives since operations in Afghanistan began in October 2001 and is the ninth this year.
