Blast kills three British soldiers in Afghanistan

Three more British soldiers were killed early today in southern Afghanistan.

The Ministry of Defence said that the victims were all from the 1st Battalion The Rifles.

The men died from wounds received in an explosion while on escort duties in the Gereshk district of Helmand province.

A Medical Emergency Response Team helicopter was called, but the soldiers were all pronounced dead by the doctor in the helicopter.

The killings will fuel concerns about the rising death toll in Afghanistan.

Announcing the deaths, British Army spokeswoman Commander Paula Rowe said: "Today has been incredibly sad for the whole of Task Force Helmand, and particularly for The Rifles.

"We will all feel the loss of these brave soldiers, whose role was to build the capacity of the Afghan National Army. But it is their family, friends and loved ones, as well as the men and women who served alongside them, who feel the greatest pain and we offer them our deepest and heartfelt condolences, thoughts and prayers."