A British soldier has been killed during an operation to rescue an Afghan police officer in southern Afghanistan.

The governor of Helmand province says armed insurgents kidnapped the officer at a police checkpoint in the Nar-e-Seraj district late Sunday.

NATO and Afghan officials said Monday that British forces freed the abducted policeman, but the insurgents managed to escape.

A British soldier was killed and another wounded during the rescue operation.

Helmand's governor issued a statement saying he and local residents “will never forget such a sacrifice” by the British troops and offered condolences to the British government.