Eight British soldiers killed in Afghanistan
Updated on 10 July 2009
A total of eight British soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan's Helmand Province in 24 hours.
Five British soldiers, from the 2nd Battalion The Rifles, were killed in two separate blasts on the same patrol near Sangin. Next of kin have been informed.
Earlier, a serviceman from the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment died near Nad-e-Ali in Helmand province, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said.
Lieutenant Colonel Nick Richardson, spokesman for Task Force Helmand, said: "The loss of this brave Tankie has hit us all deeply. We grieve for him at this very sad time.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and colleagues who feel the greatest loss. His loss has not been in vain."
His family has been informed.
Before this death two others died on Thursday. The first, from 4th Battalion The Rifles, was killed in an explosion while on foot patrol near Nad-e-Ali.
That was followed by another in the Princess of Wales' Royal Regiment attached to 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, who died as a result of a gunshot wounds.
The incident took place as part of Operation Panchai Palang (Panthers Claw) - a major assault against the Taliban in Helmand Province ahead of next month's Afghan elections - in an engagement with insurgent forces near Lashkar Gah. Next of kin have been informed.
Spokesman for Task Force Helmand, Lieutenant Colonel Nick Richardson, said: "These fine British soldiers paid the ultimate sacrifice and their memory will live with us forever.
"We mourn their loss and our thoughts and prayers are with their families and friends at this very sad time. We know that their deaths were not in vain."
Fifteen soldiers have died in ten days in southern Afghanistan, taking the number of British troops killed since the start of operations in October 2001 to 184 - surpassing the total who died in the Iraq war.
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