Deaths in Afghanistan: Family pays tribute to 'proud Scottish warrior' as another soldier is killed

A BRITISH soldier has died after being seriously injured by a blast in Afghanistan, the day after an Edinburgh man was also killed in the region.

The Ministry of Defence said today that the serviceman from the 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment died in the Helmand province yesterday.

Next of kin have been informed.

The death comes after Sergeant Jonathan Mathews, 35, died from a single gunshot wound in the region on Monday.

The soldier who died yesterday is the 114th British serviceman to be killed in Afghanistan since operations began in November 2001.

He was part of a routine patrol that clashed with Taliban fighters just before 9am.

During the encounter the soldier was seriously injured in an explosion and was airlifted out to receive medical treatment.

He died during the flight.

Lieutenant Colonel David Reynolds, spokesman for Task Force Helmand, said: "Everyone in Task Force Helmand is affected by the death of a soldier, and the thoughts and sympathies of us all are with the family at this most difficult time."

Sgt Mathews was killed in Helmand province on Monday when his party came under Taliban fire.

Yesterday his family paid tribute to their fallen hero who "died doing what he loved".

They said in a statement: "Jonathan trained all his life for the job he was doing, loved what he did, died doing what he loved, he was well-respected.

"Loved by his wife Shona, daughter Meghan and stepson William and all the family.

"A lover of the outdoors, an Army man through and through, we will miss him, but it gives us great comfort knowing he died doing what he trained to do – he would not have had it any other way."

Sgt Mathews was from The Highlanders, 4th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland, attached to 1st Battalion the Royal Irish Regiment.

He was in Afghanistan providing mentoring and training for the Afghan army.

The MoD described Sgt Mathews as a "proud Scottish warrior" with "a compassionate touch".

His service included operations in Northern Ireland, Bosnia and Kosovo.
On the same day he was killed, the bodies of Lance Corporal Kenneth Rowe, 24, from Newcastle, and Corporal Jason Barnes, 25, from Exeter, Devon, were flown into RAF Lyneham, Wiltshire.

L/Cpl Rowe was a British Army dog handler who died with his animal during a firefight with the Taliban last Thursday.

He was due to leave frontline duties the day before he died.

Cpl Barnes of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers attached to 2nd Battalion, the Parachute Regiment, died in a suspected roadside bomb last Tuesday.

He was driving an ambulance at the time of his death.