Tributes have been paid to a soldier from Northern Ireland killed on one of the bloodiest days for UK forces in Afghanistan.
Corporal Sean Binnie (22), who was living in Belfast, died in a fire fight with insurgents near Musa Qala in Helmand province.
Another three British soldiers in Afghanistan were killed in two other incidents on the same day.
Cpl Binnie, from the Black Watch, 3rd Battalion the Royal Regiment of Scotland, was taking part in a routine reassurance patrol with the Afghan National Army when he came under attack.
He was killed when he went forward to engage the enemy and get his comrades out of danger.
His wife, Amanda (21) spoke of her devastation at losing her "hero".
Addressing her late husband, she said: "You have been so strong and brave. Our married life has been a short six months and I'm speaking for both of us in saying it was the best six months ever.
"I know you have died a happy married man in doing what you loved. We're so proud of you. God bless you, babe."
The soldier's mother, Janette, said: "We are devastated at the loss of our son, Sean. We are very proud of him and he will be missed always. Sleep tight."
Cpl Binnie, who was born in Dublin to Scottish parents, joined the Army in 2003 and, after basic training, joined 3 Scots in Warminster, Wiltshire, before moving with the battalion to Belfast in 2005.
He served in Iraq and the Falkland Islands before deploying to Afghanistan in March as a mentor, living and working with Afghan soldiers.
Senior officers praised his bravery, enthusiasm and "strong determined streak", describing him as a "great man".
Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Cartwright, commanding officer of 3 Scots, based at Fort George near Inverness, said Cpl Binnie's death was a great blow to everyone in the battalion.
He said: "Recently promoted and very much a career soldier with a great future ahead of him, Sean was full of life, always cheerful and a loyal junior non-commissioned officer.
"He will be missed by us all but will not be forgotten. His loss will further serve to stiffen our resolve to see our task through this summer and we will not fail him.
"Our deepest condolences and prayers go to Amanda, his wife, and his extended family at this most tragic time."
Lieutenant Colonel Simon Banton, commanding officer of the operationalmentoring and liaison battle group in Afghanistan, added: "It was no surprise that, when Sean was taken from us, he was leading from the front, setting the example and taking the fight to the enemy.
"We will remember his bravery and that he had the mental strength and physical courage to take the difficult decisions and walk the hardest path."
Captain Olly Lever, Cpl Binnie's platoon commander, said: "He died as he lived, in the thick of the action and totally committed.
"Cpl Binnie also, however, had a softer side. He was truly devoted to his wife and his family circle — he spoke of little else.
"Cpl Binnie will be remembered as a hero by all who knew him and all who had the privilege to serve shoulder to shoulder with this great man."
Defence Secretary John Hutton said he was "clearly an outstanding soldier", adding: "He clearly had a promising career ahead of him, and it's desperately sad that it was cut short like this."
Another two British soldiers, one from 1st Battalion the Royal Gurkha Rifles and the other from 173 Provost Company, 3rd Regiment, Royal Military Police, were killed by a suicide bomber during a patrol in Gereshk yesterday afternoon.
The attack also left at least 16 Afghan civilians dead and more than 30 wounded, according to the Nato-led International Security Assistance Force (Isaf).
And a fourth UK soldier, from 2nd Battalion the Rifles, was killed when his Jackal patrol vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device near Sangin last night.
Yesterday was the worst day for British forces in Afghanistan since February 25th, when three soldiers and one Royal Marine died.
The deaths took the number of UK service personnel killed in the country since operations began in 2001 to 157.
PA