Four soldiers killed in Afghanistan crash

2010-06-24 161


The Ministry of Defence have confirmed the deaths of four British soldiers following a vehicle accident in southern Afghanistan. Enemy action is not thought to have been involved, the Ministry of Defence said.


Three soldiers from 1st Battalion The Mercian Regiment and one soldier from 1st Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment (attached to 1st Battalion The Mercian Regiment) troops died near Gereshk, Helmand Province.


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


Task Force Helmand spokesman Lieutenant Colonel James Carr-Smith said: "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."


Next of kin have been informed.


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.


18 troops have died so far this month, of whom nine died in the past seven days. 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.