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Four soldiers killed in Afghanistan accident

Matt Williams,Press Association
Thursday 24 June 2010 13:09 BST
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Four British soldiers have been killed in a vehicle accident in southern Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence said today.

The troops died yesterday evening near Gereshk, Helmand Province.

Next of kin have been informed.

Task Force Helmand spokesman Lieutenant Colonel James Carr-Smith said: "It is with great sadness I must inform you that three soldiers from 1st Battalion The Mercian Regiment and one soldier from 1st Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment (attached to 1st Battalion The Mercian Regiment) were killed last night in northern Nahr-e Saraj, Helmand Province.

"They were part of a team that was travelling to assist in an incident at a nearby checkpoint when they were killed in a vehicle incident.

"They will be sorely missed and their actions will not be forgotten. We will remember them."

The soldiers, part of a police advisory team, were travelling in a Ridgeback armoured vehicle which rolled off the road and ended up under water.

Enemy action is not thought to have been involved, the Ministry of Defence said.

The deaths took the number of UK troops who have died since operations in Afghanistan began in 2001 to 307.

This includes 18 so far this month, of whom nine died in the past seven days alone.

The bloodiest month for the UK mission in Afghanistan was June last year, when 22 British troops were killed, including eight in just 24 hours.

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