A British soldier operating under ISAF command has been killed during a firefight in Musa Qala in Helmand province, the UK Ministry of Defense confirmed.

The soldier, from the 1st Battalion (The Rifles), died from injuries he sustained during an exchange of fire while on a joint British and Afghan National Army patrol in Musa Qala on Friday, a spokesman for the defense ministry said.

The latest death brings to 143, the number of British soldiers who have been killed since the US invaded the country in 2001 under the pretext of toppling Taliban rule.

The news came as the country is so gripped in violence that Afghan's upcoming presidential elections were postponed for three months, the country's election commission announced Thursday.

Afghan officials blame the presence of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) for the unrest and have frequently called on the US and its NATO allies not to increase the number of their troops in Afghanistan.

RZS/HAR