ianstone
08-20-2010, 05:45 AM
Taliban hire sniper to hit troops at 600yds: British soldier shot dead through 9in gap in glass shield
By Ian Drury (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/search.html?s=y&authornamef=Ian+Drury)
Last updated at 9:17 AM on 20th August 2010
Comments (53) (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1304596/Taliban-hire-sniper-British-soldier-Darren-Foster-shot-dead-glass-shield.html#comments)
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The Taliban have hired a mercenary sniper to kill British soldiers, it was disclosed last night. The marksman has been blamed for the latest British casualty in Afghanistan.
He is said to have picked off Sapper Darren Foster from a distance of up to 600 metres through a gap in a protected lookout post just nine inches wide.
It is thought the Taliban have hired the sniper to target the Nato forces’ most highly specialised soldiers, including bombdisposal expert and their own snipers.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/08/20/article-0-0ADA81D6000005DC-599_468x205.jpg Deadly: Mercenary Taliban snipers have been hired to pick off British troops
SAS troops have been deployed to take out the gunman, who is operating in the insurgent hotbed of Sangin in northern Helmand Province.
U.S. marines highlighted the sniper threat after they moved into the town - considered the deadliest place in Afghanistan - to relieve UK forces.
In the seven days since they arrived in the town he has killed two men and wounded another.
The other man to die was a U.S. marine who was gunned down while throwing away a bag of rubbish less than 100 yards from a fortified patrol base near the town.
Sapper Foster, 20, from Whitehaven, Cumbria, was killed while supporting the 40 Commando Royal Marines battle group.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/08/20/article-0-0ACD0C28000005DC-833_233x423.jpg Darren Foster: Manning a lookout
He had been manning a lookout post outside a patrol base when he was shot shortly before 7am last Friday, the Ministry of Defence said.
Reports in the Wall Street Journal said that the post was protected by bulletproof glass except for small gaps which allow soldiers to fire their weapons.
Sapper Foster’s family said: ‘He was a loving son, grandson and brother who will be sorely missed for his crazy flamboyant lifestyle. His only aim was to serve in the Army, for which he made us all proud.' Lieutenant Colonel Bobby Walton- Knight, his commanding officer, described him as a 'young soldier with a great deal of promise' who was marked out by his ' motivation, professionalism and pride'.
The Ministry of Defence last night questioned the American claims, saying they still need to verify whether snipers had been employed by the Taliban.
UK military spokesman Major General Gordon Messenger said: ‘I view a sniper as someone who has an extremely high level of training, has specialist equipment and deals in significant distances at significant accuracy.
‘I don’t think there’s any evidence that we’re seeing anything like that.
‘We are definitely seeing the tactic whereby the single shot rather than the “spray and pray” type of thing is the initial point of engagement.’
Intelligence sources have told the Mail that at least three foreign snipers in Afghanistan, trained by either Iran or Al Qaeda in Pakistan, are being paid tens of thousands of pounds to help the insurgents.
Earlier this year, a senior UK Army source warned that a Taliban sniper had killed seven soldiers of the 3rd Battalion Rifles.
Details of the sniper attacks emerged as the bodies of Sapper Foster, who served with 21 Engineer Regiment, and Sapper Ishwor Gurung, 21, of the Queen’s Gurkha Engineers, were repatriated.
Sapper Gurung, whose body was brought home through Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire, with his comrade, was shot dead helping to build a new sentry post in Nad-e Ali in Helmand.
Read more: [URL]http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1304596/Taliban-hire-sniper-British-soldier-Darren-Foster-shot-dead-glass-shield.html#ixzz0x8bYISPN (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1304596/Taliban-hire-sniper-British-soldier-Darren-Foster-shot-dead-glass-shield.html)
By Ian Drury (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/search.html?s=y&authornamef=Ian+Drury)
Last updated at 9:17 AM on 20th August 2010
Comments (53) (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1304596/Taliban-hire-sniper-British-soldier-Darren-Foster-shot-dead-glass-shield.html#comments)
[/URL]
The Taliban have hired a mercenary sniper to kill British soldiers, it was disclosed last night. The marksman has been blamed for the latest British casualty in Afghanistan.
He is said to have picked off Sapper Darren Foster from a distance of up to 600 metres through a gap in a protected lookout post just nine inches wide.
It is thought the Taliban have hired the sniper to target the Nato forces’ most highly specialised soldiers, including bombdisposal expert and their own snipers.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/08/20/article-0-0ADA81D6000005DC-599_468x205.jpg Deadly: Mercenary Taliban snipers have been hired to pick off British troops
SAS troops have been deployed to take out the gunman, who is operating in the insurgent hotbed of Sangin in northern Helmand Province.
U.S. marines highlighted the sniper threat after they moved into the town - considered the deadliest place in Afghanistan - to relieve UK forces.
In the seven days since they arrived in the town he has killed two men and wounded another.
The other man to die was a U.S. marine who was gunned down while throwing away a bag of rubbish less than 100 yards from a fortified patrol base near the town.
Sapper Foster, 20, from Whitehaven, Cumbria, was killed while supporting the 40 Commando Royal Marines battle group.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/08/20/article-0-0ACD0C28000005DC-833_233x423.jpg Darren Foster: Manning a lookout
He had been manning a lookout post outside a patrol base when he was shot shortly before 7am last Friday, the Ministry of Defence said.
Reports in the Wall Street Journal said that the post was protected by bulletproof glass except for small gaps which allow soldiers to fire their weapons.
Sapper Foster’s family said: ‘He was a loving son, grandson and brother who will be sorely missed for his crazy flamboyant lifestyle. His only aim was to serve in the Army, for which he made us all proud.' Lieutenant Colonel Bobby Walton- Knight, his commanding officer, described him as a 'young soldier with a great deal of promise' who was marked out by his ' motivation, professionalism and pride'.
The Ministry of Defence last night questioned the American claims, saying they still need to verify whether snipers had been employed by the Taliban.
UK military spokesman Major General Gordon Messenger said: ‘I view a sniper as someone who has an extremely high level of training, has specialist equipment and deals in significant distances at significant accuracy.
‘I don’t think there’s any evidence that we’re seeing anything like that.
‘We are definitely seeing the tactic whereby the single shot rather than the “spray and pray” type of thing is the initial point of engagement.’
Intelligence sources have told the Mail that at least three foreign snipers in Afghanistan, trained by either Iran or Al Qaeda in Pakistan, are being paid tens of thousands of pounds to help the insurgents.
Earlier this year, a senior UK Army source warned that a Taliban sniper had killed seven soldiers of the 3rd Battalion Rifles.
Details of the sniper attacks emerged as the bodies of Sapper Foster, who served with 21 Engineer Regiment, and Sapper Ishwor Gurung, 21, of the Queen’s Gurkha Engineers, were repatriated.
Sapper Gurung, whose body was brought home through Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire, with his comrade, was shot dead helping to build a new sentry post in Nad-e Ali in Helmand.
Read more: [URL]http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1304596/Taliban-hire-sniper-British-soldier-Darren-Foster-shot-dead-glass-shield.html#ixzz0x8bYISPN (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1304596/Taliban-hire-sniper-British-soldier-Darren-Foster-shot-dead-glass-shield.html)