A BRITISH Army dog handler and his animal have been killed by insurgents in southern Afghanistan.

The serviceman, from the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, attached to 2nd Battalion the Parachute Regiment, was on a routine patrol in the Sangin area of Helmand Province yesterday when his unit came under enemy fire.

He was killed and another six soldiers – five from 2 Para and one from 3 Para – were wounded in the incident, the Ministry of Defence said. An army explosives sniffer dog was also killed.

One of the casualties suffered serious but not life-threatening injuries and is being airlifted to the UK for further treatment, but the other five are now returning to duties. The dog handler's next of kin have been informed and he is expected to be formally named today.

Royal Navy Captain Michael Finney, spokesman for the Nato-led International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) in Afghanistan, said: "I would like to offer our sincere condolences to the family and friends of our fallen soldier."

The latest death takes to 112 the number of British service personnel who have lost their lives in Afghanistan since the start of operations in November 2001. Army weapons maintenance specialist Corporal Jason Barnes, 25, from Exeter, Devon, was killed by a roadside bomb in Helmand on Tuesday as he drove an ambulance back to base.

Dozens of military dogs are on the front line of the fight against the Taleban and are invaluable in sniffing out booby traps and identifying suicide bombers. Attack dogs guard and patrol British bases and are trained to bring down enemy soldiers with non-lethal force.

But being so close to danger inevitably comes with risk. Yesterday's death is the first British canine military death in Afghanistan but there are also injuries, and some dogs have reportedly been treated for post-traumatic stress. Even away from the front line, the dogs can be extremely useful – a visit to injured troops from a canine friend can be a big morale booster.

Many army dogs have had a difficult past, having been abandoned or mistreated by their previous owners and then taken in by the military. Among the breeds used are labradors, German shepherds and springer spaniels. The animals are selected for jobs depending on their character and breed traits.

This week it was reported German shepherd dogs were being trained to parachute jump from 25,000ft to act as scouts for SAS raids.