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GRUESOME pictures today emerged of US troops posing with the severed remains of suicide bombers - in ANOTHER outrage which threatens to derail the Afghan mission.
British soldier killed by Afghanistan blast
A BRITISH soldier has tragically died in Britain after being fatally wounded by a Taliban bomb a week ago.
The brave soldier of Britain's elite bombing hunting unit - 33 Engineer Regiment - was critically hurt last Wednesday.
He received emergency medical care on the battlefield and was then rushed back to the Forces wing at Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
But today, his wounds from the deadly blast proved too serious and he died.
Spokesman for Task Force Helmand, Major Ian Lawrence, said: "It is with a deep sense of regret that I must confirm the death of a soldier from 33 Engineer Regiment (EOD) who died of wounds sustained in an IED strike on 11 April 2012.
"The thoughts and sincere condolences of the entire Task Force are with his family and friends."
This latest death takes the toll for British troops to 409.
The US Army has launched an urgent investigation after snaps emerged of soldiers grinning by blown off legs and a dead body.
It is the latest embarrassing blow to America's image in Afghanistan.
In January US Marines made a shock video of them urinating on Afghan corpses.
The next month copies of the Koran - the Muslim holy book - were accidentally burned sparking violent protests.
Then last month a US soldier allegedly massacred 17 innocent Afghans including women and children in a shooting spree.
In this latest outrage a soldier passed 18 images of colleagues posing with corpses to a US paper to reveal the breakdown of troops' discipline in the warzone.
The unnamed serviceman was from the 82nd Airborne's 4th Brigade Combat Team and the pictures are believed to have been taken over two years ago.
Suicide bombers
It is thought the macabre snaps - published in the Los Angeles Times - were taken when troops were sent to ID the remains of a suicide bomber.
Months later the same platoon was ordered to investigate remains of three Taliban who allegedly blew themselves up by accident.
Soldiers are alleged to have again posed up with remains.
One photo from that incident appears to show the hand of a dead insurgent resting on a US soldier's shoulder as he grins for the camera.
US Pentagon press secretary George Little said America's Defence Secretary Leon Panetta "rejects the conduct depicted in these two-year-old photographs".
He added: "Anyone found responsible for this inhuman conduct will be held accountable in accordance with our military justice system."
A statement by US Ambassador to Afghanistan Ryan C. Crocker also condemned the behaviour.
He said: "Such actions are morally repugnant, dishonour the sacrifices of hundreds of thousands of US soldiers and civilians who have served with distinction in Afghanistan, and do not represent the core values of the United States or our military."
The US authorities had urged the LA Times NOT to publish the pictures for fear it would spark another bloody backlash - but they refused.
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