Two Royal Marines killed on patrol in Afghanistan

The British soldiers’ deaths bring to 44 the number of Nato troops who have been killed in Afghanistan in May Two British soldiers have been killed in a bomb blast while on patrol in southern Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence has said. The troops from 42 Commando Royal Marines were killed by an improvised explosive device (IED) in the Nad-e Ali district of Helmand province on Friday. The deaths take to 368 the number of British military personnel who have died since operations in Afghanistan began in 2001. A British soldier from 1st Battalion the Rifles was killed on Monday by a bomb while on a patrol in another district of the province. A spokesman from the MoD said the two marines had been on patrol in the Loy Mandeh area when they were killed. The spokesman for Task Force Helmand, Major Rolf Kurth, said: “It is my sad duty to inform you of the death of two Royal Marines from 42 Commando Royal Marines in the Loy Mandeh area of the Nad-e Ali district of Helmand province. “The two Royal Marines were on patrol, disrupting insurgent activity when they were killed by an explosion caused by an IED. Our thoughts and prayers are with their families and friends in their time of grief.” Their next of kin have been informed. The soldiers’ deaths bring to 44 the number of Nato troops who have been killed this month in Afghanistan. The recent violence is part of a spring offensive by the Taliban, who have stepped up roadside bomb and suicide attacks, as well as assaults on outposts in mountainous and rural areas. Afghanistan Military Ben Quinn guardian.co.uk

Posted by on May 28, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.