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A British soldier has died in an explosion in Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence said.
The soldier, from 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards, was killed in the Babaji District of central Helmand Province.
He was on a foot patrol when he was caught by a roadside bomb.
His family have been told.
The fatality takes the British military death toll since operations began in Afghanistan in 2001 to 279.
Spokesman for Task Force Helmand, Lieutenant Colonel David Wakefield, said: "It is my sad duty to inform you of the death of a British soldier from the Coldstream Guards in the Babaji area of central Helmand early this morning.
"He was on a routine foot patrol when he was caught by an explosion.
"The patrol was operating near the newly built Patrol Base Walizi, part of the ongoing operations by the Coldstream Guards Battle Group in that area to bring security to local people.
"His loss is a bitter blow, keenly felt by all of us, but his selfless commitment and unremitting courage in the face of danger will not be forgotten."
The death was not connected to Operation Moshtarak, the recent drive against the Taliban, an MoD spokesman said.
