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Three British soldiers killed in Afghanistan, toll rises to 100

by Staff Writers
London (AFP) June 8, 2008
Three British soldiers were killed in a suicide attack in Afghanistan Sunday, taking the total number of the country's troops killed there since the 2001 invasion to 100, the defence ministry said.

A fourth soldier was wounded in the attack from a "suicide explosive device" during a routine foot patrol at approximately 11:00 am (0630 GMT) about one kilometre (0.6 miles) west of their base in the southern Afghan province of Helmand, where most of Britain's forces are based, said a ministry statement.

"Four soldiers were injured in the attack and were evacuated to the medical facility at Camp Bastion," said the statement.

All the soldiers, part of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force, were part of the 2nd Battalion the Parachute Regiment, it added.

"Sadly one soldier was pronounced dead on arrival and despite the best efforts of the medical team, two of the soldiers died as a result of their wounds.

"A fourth soldier is currently receiving treatment for his wounds and is expected to make a good recovery."

The ministry said that the soldiers' next of kin had been informed. They had requested a 24-hour grace period before further details of their identities were released.

Britain has about 4,000 soldiers stationed in Afghanistan, most of whom are in Helmand, where the Islamist Taliban militia have been waging a bloody insurgency since being ousted from power after the 2001 US-led invasion.

Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup, the chief of the defence staff, said that the 100 soldiers who had lost their lives had "laid their lives down for their country and their comrades."

Both he and Defence Secretary Des Browne insisted that their lives had not been lost in vain.

Browne described the progress made in southern Afghanistan as "remarkable." Stirrup said that troops there were "making good progress."

"They have transformed the heartland of the Taliban from an area of lawless oppression and terrorism to a place of democracy and development," Browne said.

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Afghan officials say dozens of militants killed
Kabul (AFP) June 6, 2008
US-led coalition force warplanes killed 32 Taliban militants in southeastern Afghanistan overnight, an Afghan official said Friday.







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