British soldier killed in Afghanistan

KABUL, Afghanistan, July 23 (UPI) -- A bomb struck a military vehicle in Afghanistan's Helmand province, killing a British soldier and injuring two others, the defense ministry said Wednesday.

The incident in Kajaki brought to 111 the number of British soldiers killed in Afghanistan, Sky News reported. The dead soldier was serving with the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, attached to 2nd Battalion the Parachute Regiment.

Separately, Xinhua, quoting a coalition statement, reported several militants were killed Tuesday by coalition forces in an operation to disrupt militant activities in the central Afghan province of Wardak.

In another encounter Sunday, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force said coalition forces killed Mullah Sheikh, a high-level Taliban commander, and two of his followers near Musa Qala in the southern Helmand province.

The report said the Mullah and his followers were responsible for directing frequent attacks against the Afghan people, Afghan National Security Force and ISAF forces in the province,

"We have removed yet another Taliban enemy leader who will no longer threaten the peace and security of Afghanistan," said ISAF spokesman British navy Capt. Mike Finney.