A BRITISH soldier was among seven people killed when a Chinook helicopter was shot down by insurgents.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for last night's attack in the volatile Helmand province.

Nato's International Security Assistance Force said other troops rushing to the scene were ambushed and had to call in air support against their attackers.

The Chinook was carrying a crew of five and two military passengers when it crashed.

They included five Americans, one Briton and one Canadian.

Nato said the cause of the crash was "being determined by military officials".

Initial reports suggested the helicopter was hit with a rocket-propelled grenade.

A Taliban spokesman claimed militants shot the helicopter down in the Kajaki district in southern Helmand, the scene of heavy combat in recent months.

Kajaki is the site of a large US-funded hydroelectric dam now being repaired so it can provide electricity to the southern city of Kandahar.

British troops, who make up the bulk of the forces in Helmand province, have been engaged in fierce fighting around the dam.

The latest British death brings the toll of fatalities among British forces personnel in Afghanistan to 58 since the start of operations in November 2001.

Of these, 35 were killed in action and 23 died from non-combat injuries, accidents or illness.

The Ministry of Defence this week named Corporal Darren Bonner as the soldier killed on Monday when an explosion hit a British convoy in the Gereshk region of Helmand.

More than 3000 British soldiers are currently serving in Afghanistan.

The Chinook, a heavy transport helicopter with two rotors, can carry around 40 soldiers plus a small crew.

Nato said troops going to the crash site were ambushed by enemy fighters and the unit called in an air strike "to eliminate the enemy threat".