scots soldier was found executed last night after being kidnapped by the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Sources said the squaddie - the first soldier snatched by the Taliban since the conflict began - was killed after he went for an early-morning swim.
The soldier from the Royal Regiment of Scotland disappeared from his base after finishing sentry duty - hours before PM David Cameron flew in to visit troops.
A massive search, involving UK and US special forces, was launched for him amid fears he'd been kidnapped.
But the soldier's body was later found two kilometres from his base in Helmand province.
He had been executed with a gunshot wound to the head.
Last night, Taliban leaders boasted that they had killed him following a firefight with western forces.
Spokesman Qari Mohammad Yousuf said: "The soldier was captured yesterday evening during a firefight.
"When the fighting got more intense, we couldn't keep him so we had to kill him."
But officials from Isaf - the Nato-led mission in Afghanistan - said last night that there was no record of fighting in the area.
There were fears that the Taliban had snatched the soldier - from 4th Battalion The Highlanders - after being tipped off that Cameron was making a secret visit to the country yesterday.
There were also claims that he may have been betrayed and handed over to the Taliban by the Afghan soldiers.
Sources said the soldier disappeared shortly after he had finished sentry duty at Checkpoint Salaang in the Nahr-e Saraj district.
General Sayed Malook, the top Afghan commander in Helmand, said he was told the soldier and two Afghan troops went to a village for a swim.
He said: "A British soldier, along with two Afghan National Army soldiers, left their base in Nahr-e Saraj district and went to Kopak village to swim.
"When our two soldiers came out of the water, they couldn't see him."
After the body was found last night, task force spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Tim Purbrick said: "He had gunshot wounds. The circumstances are currently under investigation.
"It would not be appropriate to comment further at this time.
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