Soldier in Helmand tragedy ‘born leader’

Lance Corporal Gajbahadur Gurung from the 1st Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment was serving as a part of Combined Force Nahr-e Saraj (North), and was a member of an International Security Assistance Force foot patrol intended to disrupt insurgent activity when he was shot dead on Friday.

A total of 397 UK military personnel have died since operations in Afghanistan began in 2001

Nepalese L/Cpl Gurung, known as Gaj, joined the Brigade of Gurkhas on December 18 2004 at Pokhara, Nepal, the Ministry of Defence said.

L/Cpl Gurung, who has been deployed to Afghanistan three times during his military career, was posted to 1st Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment in 2009.

An MoD spokesman said his company was tasked with holding an area north east of Helmand’s second city, Gereshk when the tragedy happened.

Lieutenant Colonel Dan Bradbury, his commanding officer, said: “His peers in Delhi Company and all of us in the chain of command knew him as an intelligent, charismatic and inquisitive natural leader of men.”

The MoD said L/Cpl Gurung leaves behind his wife Manisha, who lives in Germany, and his immediate family in Nepal.

Defence Secretary Philip Hammond spoke of his sadness and added: “My thoughts and deepest sympathies are with his family, friends and colleagues.”