Three British soldiers die in southern Afghanistan

Three British soldiers die in southern Afghanistan

2011-02-15 10:13:05 GMT+7 (ICT)

KABUL (BNO NEWS) -- Three British soldiers were killed in two separate incidents in southern Afghanistan on Monday, the UK Ministry of Defence and the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said.

In one incident, two British service members were killed when a domestic fire broke out at Camp Bastion in Helmand Province. Few details were immediately released but the Ministry said enemy action is not suspected.

"It is my sad duty to report the loss of two soldiers from the Royal Logistic Corp, this morning," said Camp Bastion spokesman Wing Commander Martin Tinworth. "The soldiers died in a fire on Camp Bastion 2, this incident is now under investigation."

In another incident in Helmand Province, a British service member was killed following an improvised explosive device (IED) attack. "Sadly, the insurgents have resorted to planting explosives that target innocent civilians and soldiers indiscriminately, without care for the impact that they have or the destruction they cause," said Task Force Helmand spokesman Lieutenant Colonel David Eastman. "The soldier gave his life trying to defend against such senseless inhumanity."

Coalition casualties in Afghanistan have been rising sharply in recent years, with a total coalition death toll of 709 in 2010, making it the deadliest year for international troops since the war began in response to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States.

The council of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) eventually declared that the attacks of 9/11, which killed nearly 3,000 people from scores of countries, was considered an attack on all NATO nations. The NATO-backed war in Afghanistan aims to defeat the Taliban and other insurgent groups in the country.

So far this year, around 45 coalition service members have been killed in Afghanistan. Most troops are killed in the country's south, which is plagued by IED attacks on troops and civilians.

On Wednesday, two British service members were killed when they were hit by small arms fire in the Nad-e Ali District of Helmand Province.

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