LONDON: A British soldier was shot dead while on patrol in southern Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence said on Saturday, becoming the 416th to be killed since military operations started in 2001.

The soldier from 1st Battalion, The Royal Welsh, was on a foot patrol in Nahr-e Saraj District in Helmand province when it came under small arms fire on Friday.

“He was fatally wounded and despite immediate medical attention could not be saved,” the ministry said in a statement, adding that his family had been informed.

Britain has around 9,500 troops in Afghanistan, mainly based in Helmand where they are battling a Taliban insurgency. Britain intends to pull out all its combat troops by 2015.