Source:
The AustralianATTACKS have killed three British and two US soldiers in southern Afghanistan, the alliance force said today, as thousands of troops pressed on with anti-insurgency operations ahead of next week's vote.
The three British soldiers died today after they were hit by an explosion while on a foot patrol in the southern province of Helmand, Britain's Ministry of Defence said.
It took the British death toll to 199 since the US-led invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001, it said.
The deaths were also announced by the International Security Assistance Forces (ISAF), which said separately that two US soldiers were killed in other incidents in the south yesterday and today.
One involved an explosion and the other was a "direct fire attack", it said.
The soldiers are the latest in a long line of mostly Western troops to die in the effort to defeat extremists in Afghanistan. Around 30 international soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan this month, according to the icasualties.org website which compiles a toll.
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http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25927377-12377,00.html