Denmark suffers first Afghanistan combat death

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - Denmark has suffered its first combat death from fighting in Afghanistan after a soldier died in a Copenhagen hospital from his wounds.

The Danish central army command said on Thursday the soldier was shot in Helmand province on Sunday. He was taken by helicopter to a field hospital and then transferred to Denmark, where he died on Wednesday night.

Denmark has about 400 troops in Afghanistan as part of U.S.-led coalition forces and plans to increase that number to 600 after withdrawing its ground troops from Iraq in August.

In 2002, three Danish soldiers died in Afghanistan in an accidental explosion while trying to dismantle a mine.