Kabul, May 29: Two British soldiers serving in the US-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) have been killed by a homemade bomb in southern Afghanistan.
“The Royal Marines, from 42 Commando, were on an operation on Friday with Afghan forces to clear parts of Nad-e Ali district in Helmand province when they were hit by the blast,” AFP cited a statement released by Britain’s Ministry of Defense on Saturday.
Improvised explosive devices (IEDs) are by far the most lethal weapon Taliban militants use against foreign troops, Afghan forces as well as civilians.
The latest deaths bring to 368 the number of British soldiers killed in Afghanistan since October 2001, when the US-led invasion of the country began.
At least 206 foreign troops have so far been killed in the war-ravaged Afghanistan this year.
Last year, nonetheless, remains the deadliest year for foreign military casualties with a total death toll of 711. The figure eclipsed the previous record of 521, set in 2009.
Britain reportedly has around 9,500 military servicemen in Afghanistan, making it the second largest force in the country after the United States.
Hundreds of civilians have also been killed in US-led airstrikes and ground operations in various parts of Afghanistan over the past few months, with Afghans growing increasingly outraged over the seemingly endless number of deadly assaults.
Moreover, the growing death rate of Afghan civilians as a result of NATO and US military operations in the country has fueled tensions between Afghan President Hamid Karzai and his Western allies.
——–Agencies