Fallen British soldier named

LONDON (Reuters) - A British soldier killed in an explosion in southern Afghanistan at the weekend has been named as 22-year-old Corporal Joseph Etchells of the 2nd Battalion the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.

The Ministry of Defence said Etchells -- the 186th British soldier to be killed since the U.S.-led invasion in 2001 -- was on foot patrol in Sangin, Helmand province, on Sunday when he was hit by the explosion.

"Corporal Etchells was a remarkable young man," said his commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Charlie Calder.

"He showed a gift for soldiering that touched all who worked with him. His enthusiasm, determination, loyalty and professionalism would have seen him progress with ease through the ranks."

Public debate about the 8-year-old war has intensified in the past two weeks as Britain has suffered a series of fatalities on the battlefield and coffins have returned home.

This month, 17 troops have been killed, including eight in one day, with most of them hit by roadside bomb blasts.

That has provoked anger about a lack of helicopters, particularly heavy-lift Chinooks which allow troops and equipment to be shuttled around Afghanistan's vast territory rapidly. A lack of helicopters means more units have to travel by road, exposing them to mines, bombs and boobytraps.

(Reporting by Tim Castle)