Roadside bomb kills 3 UK soldiers in Afghanistan

Afghanistan, May 1 – Three British soldiers have died in Afghanistan after their vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device in Helmand, the Ministry of Defence said.

They were from the Royal Highland Fusiliers, the 2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland. Their next of kin have been informed.

The soldiers, who died on Tuesday, were in a Mastiff armoured vehicle.

Prime Minister David Cameron said the country had paid a "very high price" for its work in Afghanistan.

The number of UK service personnel to have died since operations in Afghanistan began in 2001 is now 444, with the latest deaths bringing the total of British troops killed in Afghanistan this year to six.

The blast occurred as the British troops were on a routine patrol in the district of Nahr-e Saraj.

The MoD says the three soldiers were evacuated by air to the military hospital at Camp Bastion but they could not be saved.

'Great loss'

The spokesman for Task Force Helmand, Major Richard Morgan, said: "Their deaths come as a great loss to all those serving in Task Force Helmand. Our thoughts and prayers are extended to their family and friends at this difficult time."

An MoD spokesman said the incident underlined the threats faced by British personnel as they continued to hand over security operations to their Afghan counterparts, ahead of UK combat operations concluding by the end of next year.
Fleet of Mastiff vehicles at Camp Bastion The Mastiff is regarded as one of the safest armoured vehicles

It also said security in Helmand was improving, with Afghan forces now responsible for the bulk of the province – but that the environment in which UK troops operated remained "risky and dangerous including the threat of improvised explosive devices and insurgent attack".

The BBC's defence correspondent, Caroline Wyatt, said the Mastiff armoured vehicle, in which the troops were travelling, has long been deemed one of the safest of all armoured vehicles.

It is a 6×6 wheel-drive protected patrol vehicle, which carries eight people and at least two crew and was brought in to protect troops from roadside bombs.

As well having armour and a V-shaped hull to deflect the blast, the seats are designed to provide extra blast protection to those inside by absorbing the effect of the blast by dropping down.

But a big device can defeat even the heaviest armour, our correspondent said, while injuries or deaths can be caused by vehicles rolling as a result of a blast.
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The deaths double the number of British troops who have died this year, our correspondent said, although these are the first to be suffered by 1 Brigade, who took command of Task Force Helmand earlier this month.

It is the first time since last September that UK forces have had soldiers killed by improvised explosive devices. Members of the Afghan army and police, as well as civilians in Afghanistan, are often killed or maimed by roadside bombs.

British troops are due to leave Afghanistan by the end of 2014, when all Nato combat operations are due to finish, although a small number will remain in support roles.

The number of British troops in Afghanistan was reduced to 9,000 before the end of 2012 and is set to fall to 5,200 by the end of 2013. (BBC online)