A Royal Marine was killed in Afghanistan today as Nato launched its largest military operation yet to wrest control of Helmand province from Taleban insurgents.

The size of task ahead of Nato was underscored by the kidnapping yesterday of an Italian journalist, Daniele Mastrogiacomo, who writes for La Repubblica, only ten miles from Lashkar Gah, the provincial capital.

The Marine, who has not been named, is the third British serviceman to be killed in Afghanistan this week, and the 51st since 2003. He was serving with the Royal Marines 42 Commando and was killed in Kajaki, northern Helmand.

His death came as British troops were spearheading Nato’s biggest operation, codenamed Achilles, to pre-empt the Taleban’s planned spring offensive.

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The operation, which will involve 5,500 troops, started at dawn and will include troops from across the Nato nations, although the soldiers carrying out the fighting will be mainly British, with support from the Canadian, American, Dutch and Afghan Armies.

“We consider this a major operation and I do not think you would be wrong if you were to characterise it as the start of Isaf’s major operations for 2007,” Colonel Tom Collins, spokesman for Nato’s International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) told reporters in Kabul.

“The Taleban talk a lot about their spring offensive. To me, what you are going to see in the coming weeks will be the enemy reacting to the strategic initiative of the Government of Afghanistan and the Isaf forces,” Colonel Collins said.

Much of northern Helmand is in the hands of insurgents, including the town of Musa Qala where, for the past month, the white flag of the Taleban movement has flown. However, Nato insists that the main thrust of the operation is to bring development to the region.

“It signifies the beginning of a planned offensive to bring security to northern Helmand and set the conditions for meaningful development that will fundamentally improve the quality of life for Afghans in the area,” Major-General Ton van Loon, Isaf’s southern command chief, said.

The focus of the operation is the repair and expansion of the Kajaki dam hydroelectric plant, which when completed will provide electricity to the whole of southern Afghanistan.

“Operations will focus on improving security in areas where Taleban extremists, narco-traffickers and other elements are trying to destabilise the Government,” Major-General van Loon said.

Qari Yousef Ahmadi, a Taleban spokesman, claimed that forces loyal to Mullah Omar were holding Mr Mastrogiacomo and two Afghans, who were identified as Sayed Agha and Ajmal.

Speaking by satellite phone he told The Times: “We are investigating whether they are spies for the British.”

Ezio Mauro, the editor of La Repubblica, confirmed that Mr Mastrogiacomo was missing, he said: “We have not heard from him since Sunday — he was in Kandahar on assignment.”

Mr Mastrogiacomo, 53, is a veteran war reporter who has worked in Somalia, Iraq and Lebanon. He had been in Afghanistan since February 28 and was planning to meet Taleban insurgents in the south of the country.

“He has given no news since Sunday. We are activating our crisis unit and making contact with our embassy in Kabul,” a Foreign Ministry spokesman said.

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