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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Five more UK dead in Afghanistan | Five more UK dead in Afghanistan |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| The Ministry of Defence says five more British soldiers have died in Afghanistan, taking the total number of deaths announced on Friday to eight. | The Ministry of Defence says five more British soldiers have died in Afghanistan, taking the total number of deaths announced on Friday to eight. |
| The five, from the 2nd Battalion The Rifles, were killed near Sangin, Helmand province, on Friday morning. Next of kin have been informed. | The five, from the 2nd Battalion The Rifles, were killed near Sangin, Helmand province, on Friday morning. Next of kin have been informed. |
| Their deaths take the number killed in Afghanistan since 2001 to 184 - more than those killed in the Iraq war. | |
| Earlier, the MoD announced the deaths of three other soldiers in Helmand. | |
| UK forces are engaged in an offensive in the region with US and Afghan troops. | |
| Insurgent forces | |
| The five soldiers were killed in two separate blasts while on the same patrol. | The five soldiers were killed in two separate blasts while on the same patrol. |
| Lieutenant Colonel Nick Richardson, spokesman for Task Force Helmand, said: "While there are no words to ease their loss, our heartfelt sympathies go to their families, friends and fellow soldiers at this very difficult time: their deaths were not in vain." | Lieutenant Colonel Nick Richardson, spokesman for Task Force Helmand, said: "While there are no words to ease their loss, our heartfelt sympathies go to their families, friends and fellow soldiers at this very difficult time: their deaths were not in vain." |
| Earlier on Friday, it was confirmed a British soldier from the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment died near Nad Ali in Helmand. That news came just hours after the deaths of another two soldiers were announced. | |
| Those two soldiers died on Thursday. One was from 4th Battalion The Rifles and he was killed in a blast while on foot patrol near Nad Ali. | |
| The second, from Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment, attached to 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, was killed during an engagement with insurgent forces near Lashkar Gah on Thursday evening. | |
| Fifteen soldiers have died in 10 days in southern Afghanistan. | Fifteen soldiers have died in 10 days in southern Afghanistan. |