A British Army soldier killed by enemy fire in Afghanistan has been named by the Ministry of Defence as Rifleman Yubraj Rai.

The 28-year-old, from Khotang district in eastern Nepal, was the first Nepalese Gurkha to die in the conflict. His death on Tuesday brought the number of UK troops killed on operations in Afghanistan since 2001 to 122.

Rifleman Rai, from the 2nd Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles, was killed in the Musa Qala area of Helmand province. The MoD said Rifleman Rai was taking part in a joint International Security Assistance Force and Afghan National Security Forces operation when his patrol came under attack. He received medical treatment        at the scene, but died a short time later from his wounds.

'Extraordinary character'

In October 2007 Major Alexis Roberts of The Royal Gurkha Rifles died when a device hidden in a road exploded while he was travelling to Kandahar Airfield.

The 32-year-old, from Kent, was Prince William's platoon commander at Sandhurst. Rifleman Rai joined the Army in January 1999, following in the footsteps of his uncle who was also a Gurkha. He had been employed as his company's storeman, but had recently volunteered to deploy with 5 Platoon to replace another rifleman who had fallen ill.

His commanding officer Lieutenant Colonel Chris Darby said: "Yubraj Rai was an extraordinary character and a hard professional soldier with a proven operational record. "Big, strong and highly experienced, Rfn Yubraj was one of the cornerstones of his Company and he was known throughout the battalion for his presence, drive and his ability as a soldier. "He died doing what he did best, amongst his greatest friends and admirers and for a cause he had taken the time to understand. "He epitomised all that makes the Gurkhas great - the best."

Defence Secretary John Hutton offered his condolences to the Gurkha's family, friends and comrades. "I was very saddened to hear of the death of Rifleman Yubraj Rai," he said. "I am told he stood out as a selfless, tough and dependable soldier. These qualities marked him out very early in his career as an ideal candidate for service with  D (Gurkha Reinforcement) Company."

Hill town

Rifleman Rai had served in Iraq, Sierra Leone and Bosnia, and on a previous tour in Afghanistan. He was described as "an avid sportsman who enjoyed all competition", but his number one passion was football and in particular, Manchester United."Better to die than be a coward" is the motto of the world-famous Nepalese Gurkha soldiers who are an integral part of the British Army.

The name "Gurkha" comes from the hill town of Gorkha from which the Nepalese kingdom had expanded. Soldiers are still selected from young men living in the hills of Nepal - with about 28,000 youths tackling the selection procedure for just over 200 places each year.

That process has been described as one of the toughest in the world and is fiercely contested.

 

2nd Gurkha killed in Helmand -BBC News

The battalion has suffered its second death in just over two weeks A Nepalese Gurkha killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan has been named as Colour Sgt Krishnabahadur Dura. The 36-year-old father-of-two, from 2nd Battalion the Royal Gurkha Rifles, was from Lamjung District, western Nepal. Colour Sgt Dura died when the Warrior vehicle in which he was travelling struck an explosive device in Helmand province on Saturday. The blast was the first fatal attack on a Warrior in Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence said. His death in Musa Qala, Helmand, takes the number of UK troops killed in Afghanistan since the launch of operations in 2001 to 125. Colour Sgt Dura enlisted in the Army in 1992 and served on operations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, East Timor and twice in Sierra Leone. He was rated as one of the Army's best snipers and was undertaking his third tour to Afghanistan when he was killed. Lt Col Chris Darby, commanding officer of 2nd Battalion the Royal Gurkha Rifles, described Colour Sgt Dura as "an exceptional soldier, a gifted leader and consummate professional". 'Bold and noble' He said: "Intelligent, hard and totally committed, I knew that whatever the challenge I could turn to Colour Sgt Dura and have absolute confidence in his ability to deliver. "His knowledge of his trade and of his men was without parallel, and the team he forged based on this knowledge and his own commitment was second to none." He said Colour Sgt Dura's snipers were, and continued to be, one of the battalion's "most potent capabilities". "Their strengths are due almost entirely to his own ability as a soldier, a leader and commander. " His courage, dedication and determination were inspirational for others, who would push themselves beyond their limits for him "   Maj Shivakumar Limbu "I was extremely proud to have known this bold and noble man and will miss him. He will not be forgotten." Maj Shivakumar Limbu added: "His courage, dedication and determination were inspirational for others, who would push themselves beyond their limits for him. He always placed his heart and soul into all that he did for his team and regiment. "He always had a smile on his face and was a really pleasant personality to work with. He was a truly model Gurkha senior NCO with masses of experience." Defence Secretary John Hutton praised Colour Sgt Dura's courage. He said: "It is clear that Colour Sgt Dura served with professionalism and courage and was wholly committed to his mission; he was helping Afghanistan and the cause of wider security. "My thoughts are with his family, friends and fellow Gurkhas at this sad time." The soldier's death is the second from the battalion in just over two weeks. Rifleman Yubraj Rai, 28, was killed on 4 November when his patrol was attacked, also in Musa Qala. Britain has about 8,000 troops in Afghanistan. It is the second-largest contributor of foreign forces in the country after the United States.