SWANLEY: Soldier killed in Afghanistan in suspected friendly fire incident (From News Shopper)

SWANLEY: Soldier killed in Afghanistan in suspected friendly fire incident

1:06pm Wednesday 28th July 2010 in

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A SOLDIER from Swanley has died in Afghanistan in a suspected friendly fire incident.

Sapper Mark Smith, aged 26, was killed on Monday (July 26) in the Sangin area of Helmand district as he was part of a Counter-Improvised Explosive Device Task Force removing a bomb.

A Ministry of Defence (MoD) spokesman said: “While elements of the Counter-Improvised Device clearance team were moving into position, a smoke screen was requested to enable their movement.

“As this was being undertaken, initial reports suggest that one of the smoke shells may have fallen short of its intended target, tragically killing Sapper Smith.”

Sapper Smith’s family and friends, including his mother Helen and brother Shane, paid tribute to him in a statement released by the MoD, calling him "inspiring" and “unique”.

They said: "Mark Smith, fondly known by his friends as 'Smit' and Army colleagues as 'Smudge', was truly unique.

“His cheeky grin could light up a room and his zest for life was an inspiration to us all. His friendship and loyalty to those closest to him knew no bounds and I am truly honoured to have called him my friend.

"Smit will be greatly missed but it is difficult to think of him without smiling as he had a unique ability to lift anyone from the most sombre of moods and was always the life and soul of the party.

“He loved his Army life and his courage and bravery were inspiring. Mark was a lovable rogue and the world will certainly be a sadder place without him."

Sapper Smith’s death takes the total number of British military personnel killed on operations in Afghanistan since 2001 to 325.

He enlisted into the Corps of Royal Engineers in June 2001 and trained as a combat engineer and communications and information systems operator before being posted to 36 Engineer Regiment in December 2002.

He was sent to Iraq in 2003 and deployed on his first tour of Afghanistan in 2007, and then volunteered for a second tour of duty in Afghanistan in April this year.

Commanding Officer of the Counter-Improvised Explosive Device Task Force, Lieutenant Colonel David Southall MBE, praised Sapper Smith.

He said: "Sapper Mark Smith, or Smudge to his friends, was one of life's real characters. A scruffy, loveable, wheeler-dealer, he was often near to, but never seemingly the cause of, endless mischief.

“Big in character and big in heart, he'd charm his way out of the stickiest of situations and we loved him for it.

"He plied his trade daily, hunting out IEDs in the most deadly of areas.

“As an accomplished senior Sapper the younger lads relied much on his presence, and his sharp eye and quick wit sustained them all through thick and thin.

“Mark's death, a tragic accident, has shocked us all. He leaves behind his mother and brother whose grief we share at this most difficult of times."