Britain loses 100th soldier of the year in Afghanistan

London - Britain lost its 100th soldier in fighting so far in 2009 in Afghanistan, the defense ministry reported Monday evening. The ministry said the soldier was killed in Helmand province in the south of the country.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown expressed his condolences and said the "entire nation" stood by the families and friends of all 100 soldiers killed so far in 2009, a year which already has been the bloodiest for the military since the 1982 Falklands War.

The latest casualty comes a week after Brown announced that Britain would send an additional 500 soldiers to help fight the Taliban, a pledge which is supported by fewer and fewer Britons.

Britain, with some 10,000 troops, provides the second-biggest contingent in Afghanistan after the United States.