A New Zealander, serving in the British army, has reportedly been shot dead in southern Afghanistan and may have been killed by "friendly fire".
The soldier, from the 3rd Battalion Parachute Regiment, died on Sunday after he was shot while on patrol in the Nad-e Ali district of Helmand province, Britain's Ministry of Defence said.
Initial reports suggested the soldier had died as a result of "a friendly fire incident", a ministry spokesman said in a statement.
"The incident will be the subject of a full investigation however first reports indicate that an attack on an insurgent position by a US aircraft, requested by and agreed with British Forces on the ground, may have been the cause," he said.
The soldier's next of kin had been informed but his name has not yet been released.
A New Zealand Defence Force spokesman confirmed the soldier was a New Zealander but could not provide any other details.
On August 4, New Zealander Lieutenant Tim O'Donnell, 28, was killed when his four-vehicle patrol was attacked with explosives, rocket propelled grenades and gunfire in north-east Bamiyan Province.
He had served in East Timor before deploying to Afghanistan in April last year.
Lt O'Donnell was decorated with a Distinguished Service Decoration in for his actions in leading his platoon in a dangerous situation in Timor.
He was the first New Zealand defence force fatality in Afghanistan since it joined the US-led coalition in 2003.
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