A Worcestershire & Sherwood Foresters soldier killed in Afghanistan has been named by the Ministry of Defence.
Lance Corporal Paul Sandford was shot during an operation to clear a Taliban compound in the Upper Gereshk Valley in Helmand on Thursday morning.
The 23-year old, who was from London and had family in Nottinghamshire, had married his wife Gaynor, 25, less than one year ago.
He is the 59th member of the British forces to die in Afghanistan since operations started in November 2001.
The Worcester News reported on Thursday how Prime Minister Tony Blair had paid tribute to the courage of the Woofers in the House of Commons.
Meanwhile, the 150th UK soldier has died in Iraq after a "search and detention operation" in al-Atiyah, northwest of Basra.
The soldier, who has yet to be named, is from the 4th Battalion The Rifles and died at 12.40am BST on Thursday.
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