The following story about the capture and claimed execution of a British soldier is reproduced under the Fair Dealing provision of the Copyright Act.
BREAKING NEWS: British soldier kidnapped by Taliban 'and executed' during gun battle in AfghanistanCaptive seized in Babaji area of southern Helmand
Air and land search underway led by British troops
Taliban: We executed him as a foreign combatant
Kidnap comes after revenge threat for Bin Laden hit
By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 1:16 PM on 4th July 2011
Hundreds of troops were today engaged in a desperate search for a British soldier kidnapped by the Taliban.
The man - who has not been named - was seized during a fierce gun battle with insurgents yesterday evening in the Babaji area of southern Helmand.
A Taliban source claimed he has been executed.
'The soldier was captured yesterday evening during a firefight. When the fighting got more intense we couldn't keep him so we had to kill him,' Qari Mohammad Yousuf said by telephone from an undisclosed location.
The MoD today confirmed that the missing solider was British and his family had been informed of his disappearance.
'An extensive operation to locate him is under way,' it said in a statement. 'The individual was based in Central Helmand and was reported missing in the early hours of this morning.'
British forces have cancellled all other operations to hunt for him. Troops are carrying out air and land searches across the sprawling district.
It is the first time a British soldier has been kidnapped by the Taliban in Afghanistan.
It is understood that he had been based at Checkpoint Salaang and had just finished duty when he was taken. He is believed to have been alone.
The Nato command in Afghanistan said the soldier had been listed as 'duty status whereabouts unknown' and a search was under way.
No further details were released. The spokesman would not comment on the Taliban’s statement.
It is believed the missing soldier may be a marine. He was operating in the area at the centre of a major British operation - codenamed Panther's Claw - in 2009.
At least three British soldiers have been killed in Babaji since operations began in Afghanistan in 2001. In total, 374 British soldiers have died while serving in the country.
The kidnap comes just days after the Taliban explicitly threatened to target Britain, France and the U.S. in revenge for the killing of their leader Osama Bin Laden.
Shot dead in a raid by U.S. troops, the 9/11 mastermind had been living in a compound in the town of Abbottabad in Pakistan.
Most of the troops in southern Afghanistan are American and British, however, soldiers from other countries also operate in the south.
Only one soldier from the foreign contingent in Afghanistan is believed to be in captivity.
In June 2009 insurgents captured American soldier Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl in southeastern Afghanistan and have released videos showing him in captivity dressed in both Afghan clothing and in military uniform.
The kidnapping came as David Cameron prepared to announce the withdrawal of a further 500 troops from Afghanistan by the end of next year.
The move will bring the total number of British Forces personnel to under 9,000 for the first time since the conflict began in 2001.
Also today, the outgoing U.S. commander in Afghanistan marked his last Fourth of July in uniform by speaking to American troops during a re-enlistment ceremony in the south of the country.
Gen. David Petraeus, who was recently confirmed as the next director of the CIA, told the 235 troops re-enlisting in Kandahar province that they have achieved progress on the battlefield but that 'much work remains' to be done in Afghanistan.
'You raised your right hand and said "Send me," and today you raised your right hand again and said "Send me again, if needed,"' he told the soldiers on America's 235th birthday.
'I cannot say how impressive your action is,' he said. 'It is the most meaningful display of patriotism possible.'
Petraeus will be replaced by U.S. Marine Lt. Gen. John Allen even as 33,000 U.S. troops begin to withdraw from Afghanistan, the start of President Barack Obama's promised withdrawal of all combat troops by 2014.
BREAKING NEWS: British soldier kidnapped by Taliban 'and executed' during gun battle in AfghanistanCaptive seized in Babaji area of southern Helmand
Air and land search underway led by British troops
Taliban: We executed him as a foreign combatant
Kidnap comes after revenge threat for Bin Laden hit
By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 1:16 PM on 4th July 2011
Hundreds of troops were today engaged in a desperate search for a British soldier kidnapped by the Taliban.
The man - who has not been named - was seized during a fierce gun battle with insurgents yesterday evening in the Babaji area of southern Helmand.
A Taliban source claimed he has been executed.
'The soldier was captured yesterday evening during a firefight. When the fighting got more intense we couldn't keep him so we had to kill him,' Qari Mohammad Yousuf said by telephone from an undisclosed location.
The MoD today confirmed that the missing solider was British and his family had been informed of his disappearance.
'An extensive operation to locate him is under way,' it said in a statement. 'The individual was based in Central Helmand and was reported missing in the early hours of this morning.'
British forces have cancellled all other operations to hunt for him. Troops are carrying out air and land searches across the sprawling district.
It is the first time a British soldier has been kidnapped by the Taliban in Afghanistan.
It is understood that he had been based at Checkpoint Salaang and had just finished duty when he was taken. He is believed to have been alone.
The Nato command in Afghanistan said the soldier had been listed as 'duty status whereabouts unknown' and a search was under way.
No further details were released. The spokesman would not comment on the Taliban’s statement.
It is believed the missing soldier may be a marine. He was operating in the area at the centre of a major British operation - codenamed Panther's Claw - in 2009.
At least three British soldiers have been killed in Babaji since operations began in Afghanistan in 2001. In total, 374 British soldiers have died while serving in the country.
The kidnap comes just days after the Taliban explicitly threatened to target Britain, France and the U.S. in revenge for the killing of their leader Osama Bin Laden.
Shot dead in a raid by U.S. troops, the 9/11 mastermind had been living in a compound in the town of Abbottabad in Pakistan.
Most of the troops in southern Afghanistan are American and British, however, soldiers from other countries also operate in the south.
Only one soldier from the foreign contingent in Afghanistan is believed to be in captivity.
In June 2009 insurgents captured American soldier Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl in southeastern Afghanistan and have released videos showing him in captivity dressed in both Afghan clothing and in military uniform.
The kidnapping came as David Cameron prepared to announce the withdrawal of a further 500 troops from Afghanistan by the end of next year.
The move will bring the total number of British Forces personnel to under 9,000 for the first time since the conflict began in 2001.
Also today, the outgoing U.S. commander in Afghanistan marked his last Fourth of July in uniform by speaking to American troops during a re-enlistment ceremony in the south of the country.
Gen. David Petraeus, who was recently confirmed as the next director of the CIA, told the 235 troops re-enlisting in Kandahar province that they have achieved progress on the battlefield but that 'much work remains' to be done in Afghanistan.
'You raised your right hand and said "Send me," and today you raised your right hand again and said "Send me again, if needed,"' he told the soldiers on America's 235th birthday.
'I cannot say how impressive your action is,' he said. 'It is the most meaningful display of patriotism possible.'
Petraeus will be replaced by U.S. Marine Lt. Gen. John Allen even as 33,000 U.S. troops begin to withdraw from Afghanistan, the start of President Barack Obama's promised withdrawal of all combat troops by 2014.
