Afghanistan: Commando and translator killed in raid to free journalist

A British commando was killed during a raid to free a New York Times reporter from his Taliban captors, military officials said today.

Journalist Stephen Farrell - who holds joint Irish and British citizenship - was taken hostage along with his translator in the northern province of Kunduz on Saturday.

German commanders had ordered an airstrike on two hijacked fuel tankers, and reporters travelled to the area to cover the story.

Two military officials said that one British commando died during the early morning raid today.

The Times reported that Farrell’s Afghan translator was also killed during the raid.