A SCOTTISH soldier who went missing in Afghanistan has been found shot dead. Next of kin have been informed of his death.
The soldier, from the Highlanders, 4th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland, was reported missing from an ISAF Check Point in the early hours of the morning and was later found dead following an extensive search of the area. An army spokesman, Lieut Col Tim Purbrick, said: “He had suffered gunshot wounds. His exact cause of death is still to be established and the circumstances surrounding his disappearance and death are currently under investigation.”
There are reports, so far unconfirmed, that Taliban insurgents had tried to capture a foreign soldier and, after a gunfight, the soldier was killed.There is currently one US solider who is held by the Taliban.
Specialist Bowe Bergdahl was captured by the Haqqani Network in June 2009 in Paktika province. The Taliban have released several propaganda tapes of Bergdahl since his capture.The number of British military deaths in Afghanistan since 2001 now stands at 375.Last week Newsnet reported that Norway is withdrawing its 500 troops stationed in Afghanistan, in 2014.
On Tuesday (June 5) Canadian troops formally end five years of combat and counterinsurgency in Afghanistan and go home for good. They leave behind 157 dead. This is Canada’s longest military campaign since World War II.