Taliban kill four British soldiers

Four British soldiers have been killed in action in a single day in southern Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence said today.

The troops died in three attacks yesterday across Helmand province. Two soldiers on patrol were killed by a suicide bomber yesterday afternoon; a third died when his Jackal patrol vehicle was hit by an explosion a few hours later; the fourth died of a gunshot wound while on patrol with the Afghan National Army.

Military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Nick Richardson said it was a "sad day". It was the bloodiest 24 hours for British forces in Afghanistan since 25 February, when three soldiers and one Royal Marine died.

The soldiers' families have been informed. One of the victims is expected to be named later today and the other three tomorrow.

Two deaths occurred in Gereshk, where a soldier from the Royal Gurkha Rifles, Third Battalion, and another from Royal Military Police died in a suicide attack.

A soldier, from 2nd Battalion the Rifles, died while patrolling near Sangin in northern Helmand. The fourth serviceman, from the Black Watch, 3rd Battalion the Royal Regiment of Scotland, died from a gunshot wound near Musa Qala.

It saw the number of British service personnel killed in Afghanistan since 2001 rise to 157.