A British soldier was killed by a bomb blast in southern Afghanistan while on a foot patrol, the Ministry of Defence said today.

The serviceman, from The 2nd Battalion the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, died yesterday morning in Sangin, in northern Helmand province. Next of kin have been informed.

His death takes to 186 the total number of British military personnel to be killed since the conflict began in 2001.

It is the latest in a surge of casualties over the past month, many as a result of Operation Panchai Palang — Panther's Claw — a major assault against the Taleban ahead of August elections. The soldier who died yesterday was not taking part in this operation.

A military spokesman for Task Force Helmand said: "We grieve for his loss and join with his family and friends to mourn his passing."

The soldier’s death comes amid a growing debate over the provision of helicopters to British troops in Afghanistan to limit the amount of time they need to spend travelling by road — a mode of transport that makes them an easy target for roadside bombs, the biggest killer of coalition forces in Afghanistan.

Lord Mandelson delivered a barely coded rebuke yesterday to John Hutton after the former Defence Secretary said that the desire on the frontline for more help was unequivocal and that it was “going to take more resources to properly execute” Britain’s military strategy.

Lord Mandelson responded by saying that British troops were “well supported ... stemming from decisions taken by John Hutton as Defence Secretary”. He said that future provision would be kept under review and that General Stanley McChrystal, the US and allied commander in Afghanistan, would assess what was needed.

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