PM defends war effort in wake of death

Julia Gillard. Photo / Greg Bowker

Prime Minister Julia Gillard says Australia's large contribution of special forces soldiers and commandos in Afghanistan is justified, as the nation mourned the 28th fatality in the mission.

Sergeant Todd Langley, 35, from the Sydney-based 2nd Commando Regiment, died from a gunshot wound to the head during a battle in southern Afghanistan on Monday.

He is the 28th Australian soldier to die in action in Afghanistan since 2001, and the seventh this year.

Just under half have been special forces and commandos, with many having been on multiple tours.

Australia has about 320 special forces soldiers and commandos in Afghanistan - the third largest contributor of such forces behind the United States and Britain.

Expressing the nation's condolences, Gillard said that being in Afghanistan remained in Australia's national interest.

She said Australia's special forces were lauded around the world.

"We need them in the numbers we have in Afghanistan because they do take the fire up, push back the insurgency," Gillard told reporters in Canberra.

"They do clear areas that have been safe havens for insurgents, they do find and detect stocks of weapons ... so the work they do is vital to the mission and that is why we have them there in the numbers we do."

Meanwhile, a British soldier was captured and killed by the Taleban after going missing from his base in southern Afghanistan yesterday.

British forces had searched frantically to find him, with all other operations in Helmand put on hold.

The body of the man, from the The Highlanders, 4th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland, was later discovered. He was the first British soldier to be captured in Afghanistan.

The operation to try to rescue him coincided with an unannounced visit by British Prime Minister David Cameron to Helmand to highlight military advances against the Taleban and discuss the planned transition to Afghan security forces.

The soldier had been spotted walking off purposefully from the Sallang checkpoint, in Nahr-e-Saraj, a district which had experienced ferocious violence, early yesterday morning.

Accounts by local people placed the soldier, believed to be an NCO, at a village, called Kopak, in the company of a group of Afghan men, some in uniform.

Other accounts said he had been swimming at a canal adjoining the village before being taken away and then "sold" to a local insurgent commander.

- Independent, AAP