Saturday, January 13, 2007 5:56 AM - NATO's International Security Assistance Force has issued a notice of the death of a western soldier in an insurgent engagement early on the morning of January 13th, Saturday. The nationality of the soldier was not given. The place of death was vaguely given as "Regional Command-South", an area that includes British forces in Helmand Province, Canadian forces in Kandahar Province, Dutch forces in Uruzgan, and American forces in Zabul. The AP, however, is reporting that Canadian military officials say the death is not one of their troops.

Saturday, January 13, 2007 12:28 PM - The British Ministry of Defense has made it official: January 13th's NATO death in Afghanistan was that of a British Royal Marine. He was killed in the vicinity of Kajaki in northern Helmand Province during a clash with insurgents.

Sunday, January 14, 2007 10:21 AM - The British Ministry of Defense has identified the British Royal Marine who lost his life near Kajaki in northern Helmand Province, Afghanistan, on Saturday, January 13th: Marine Thomas Curry, 21, of East London, England. According to the press release, Curry's 42 Commando unit was in the process of clearing an enemy compound when insurgents engaged them at close quarters. "He died instantly as a result of enemy small arms fire."

Thomas Curry, 21, East London, England

Monday, January 15, 2007 5:40 AM - The NATO ISAF website is reporting the death of another NATO soldier in Afghanistan. The vaguely written press release describes the death as occurring during a pre-planned operation against an insurgent base on the morning of January 15th, Monday. Neither the nationality of the victim nor the province where the death took place were given.

Monday, January 15, 2007 8:30 AM - The British Ministry of Defense has now confirmed that the January 15th NATO troop death in Afghanistan was that of a British serviceman who died in Helmand Province. They released no further details.

Tuesday, January 16, 2007 10:34 AM - The British Ministry of Defense has identified the British Royal Marine who lost his life south of Garmsir in southern Helmand, Afghanistan, on Monday, January 15th: Lance Corporal Mathew Ford, 24, originally from Immingham in Lincolnshire, England. According to the press release, elements of 45 Commando Royal Marines were engaged in a deliberate offensive operation, "attacking a major Taliban fort. This entailed them crossing a river, assaulting a walled compound and engaging in close quarter fighting. It was during the initial breach of the compound that Lance Corporal Ford was shot and killed instantly."

Mathew Ford, 24, Dundee, Scotland, UK