British soldier gives birth during Afghanistan deployment

Kabul, Sep 20 (IANS) A woman British soldier has delivered a child in Afghanistan in a first of its kind incident.

The Royal Artillery soldier, who did not know she was pregnant, was rushed to hospital with stomach pains Tuesday. Shocked medics at Camp Bastion then delivered a healthy baby boy just a few hours later, The Sun reported.

A team of doctors has flown out to Afghanistan after the British servicewoman gave birth to a boy having not realised she was pregnant, BBC reported Thursday, adding that the unnamed woman only learned she was about to give birth after having stomach pains.

"Mother and baby are both in a stable condition," said the Ministry of Defence, after the birth Tuesday in Camp Bastion in Afghanistan's Helmand province.

The child was conceived before she arrived in Afghanistan in March.

The woman was five months into her tour of duty and must have been at least four months pregnant when she was deployed, reported The Sun citing sources.

She reportedly passed every fitness test and completed all training, including a gruelling eight-mile march with a 25lb (11 kg) backpack.

The surprise birth also came four days after 15 Taliban gunmen broke into Camp Bastion, where Prince Harry is stationed, and killed two US Marines.

The baby was born five weeks prematurely at the Camp Bastion Field Hospital. The new mum and her son are expected to be flown home to Britain soon.