An investigation has been launched after a soldier died during a live firing training exercise in Pembrokeshire in southwest Wales.

The Welsh Guards sergeant was killed at the Castlemartin training area on Thursday.

Dyfed-Powys Police is leading the investigation and is liaising with the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the Health and Safety Executive.

Police said they were called to the 6,000-acre site just before 10.45pm on 4 March and that the man was pronounced dead shortly after.

The sergeant was reportedly an Iraq and Afghanistan veteran getting ready for another Iraq deployment this summer.

An Army spokesperson did not confirm his identity, but said: “It is with great sadness we can confirm the death of a soldier on March 4.

“Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this tragic time.

“The circumstances surrounding this death are being investigated and it would be inappropriate to comment any further.”

Other soldiers have died at the MoD’s Castelmartin site in recent years.

In 2017, two corporals from the Royal Tank Regiment died after their tank exploded during an exercise on a firing range.

A 21-year-old soldier from the The Royal Irish Regiment was also shot in the head and killed as he was relaxing just outside the training range in 2012.

An inquest said he was hit in the temple by a single machine gun bullet fired during a training exercise and that he was unlawfully killed.

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