A British soldier was killed and two others injured when they were ambushed by a group of heavily armed Taleban fighters in Helmand province in southern Afghanistan yesterday.

A dramatic rescue operation involving an Apache attack helicopter and a Chinook swung into action after members of A company, 1st Battalion Royal Anglian Regiment, known as the Vikings, were attacked as they were returning to their base from a routine patrol.

Based near the town of Nowzad in northwest Helmand province, the scene of fierce fighting last summer, the British soldiers had spotted a five-man Taleban team attempting to set up an ambush.

They challenged the Taleban but during an initial gunfight, the insurgents were joined by a much larger force armed with 107mm rockets, rocket-propelled grenades, heavy machineguns and small arms. They were hiding in a number of firing positions which had clearly been set up to mount a full-scale ambush.

A spokesman for the British forces in Helmand said that one soldier received serious gunshot wounds. A Chinook and an Apache from an incident response team were sent to retrieve the wounded soldier and to provide extra firepower.

Under constant fire from the Taleban, the Chinook landed at the scene and managed to collect the casualty as the Apache engaged the Taleban with 30mm cannon fire.

The wounded soldier was evacuated to medical facilities at the main British base at Camp Bastion in central Helmand. But he was pronounced dead on arrival.

The Royal Anglian patrol began withdrawing, but it was then engaged by another larger Taleban force for two hours.

Two more soldiers were injured, and the Chinook and Apache had to return to rescue them. They were successfully evacuated and their condition was described as “not serious”.

Lieutenant-Colonel Charlie Mayo, spokesman for the Helmand Task Force which now consists of 12 Mechanised Brigade, having taken over from 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines this week, said that the Royal Anglians had been involved in a “reassurance patrol” aimed at developing a relationship with the local Afghan population.

The incident response team is equipped and staffed for any medical emergency. Its mission is to rescue wounded soldiers and to stabilise them before transporting them for treatment at the military field hospital at Camp Bastion. The RAF Chinook helicopter pilots who braved Taleban fire to carry out the double rescue were praised for their courage.

The death of the soldier brought to 53 the number of British military personnel who have died while serving in Afghanistan since the start of operations in November 2001. Of these, 31 are classed as having been killed in action or having died from wounds sustained from enemy fire.

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