Two British soldiers killed in Helmand province

Two soldiers have been killed in an explosion in Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence said today.

The soldiers, from 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment, part of the Household Cavalry Regiment Battle Group, were caught in a blast in the Musa Qala area of Helmand province yesterday afternoon, a spokesman said.

Next of kin have been informed.

The deaths were not associated with Operation Moshtarak, the recent drive against the Taliban.

Spokesman for Task Force Helmand, Lieutenant Colonel David Wakefield, said: "It is with deep sadness I must inform you that a single IED (improvised explosive device) explosion yesterday afternoon killed two British soldiers, both from 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment, serving as part of the Household Cavalry Regiment Battle Group.

"The soldiers were approximately 20 kilometres to the north of Musa Qala district centre and were part of an ongoing operation to clear insurgents from an area where, until recently, the insurgents had held sway.

"Their determined courage in the face of the danger from IEDs and the sacrifice they have made will not be forgotten."

The deaths take the number of British military fatalities in Afghanistan to 275 since operations began in 2001.

The toll of UK service personnel in Musa Qala since forces were deployed there in 2006 stands at 26.

British forces are to hand over responsibility for the area to US forces over the next few weeks, allowing UK troops to be redeployed to central Helmand, the most heavily populated area of the province, where the majority of British troops are already based.