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Uncle honours 'hero of Islam'
06/07/2006 22:48 - (SA)
Peshawar - The uncle of a Pakistani-born British soldier killed by Taliban militants in Afghanistan, on Thursday called his nephew a "hero of Islam".
Jabron Hashmi, 24, became the first British Muslim soldier to die in neighbouring Afghanistan since the US-led invasion after the 9/11 attacks. He was killed in an insurgent attack this week on his patrol in Helmand province.
Dozens of Pakistani tribesmen attended a service for Hashmi on Thursday in his birthplace of the northwestern city of Peshawar, near the Afghan border, where support for Taliban militants also runs high.
"My nephew is a hero of Islam, Pakistan, Britain and the international community who sacrificed his life for a noble cause," said Hashmi's uncle, Mohammed Javed, who held the service in his home.
Javed said he wanted his nephew buried in Pakistan, but added that his immediate family had not decided on Hashmi's funeral arrangements.
Six British soldiers have been killed in combat in Afghanistan since troops were sent to the Helmand province in May.
Pakistan and Britain are key US allies in its war on terror. But many Pakistani tribesmen living close to the Afghan border support pro-Taliban fighters who have clashed with Pakistani soldiers in the region for the past four years.
- AP
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