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| Three UK soldiers die in Helmand | Three UK soldiers die in Helmand |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| Three British soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan, taking the number of UK fatalities to 204. | Three British soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan, taking the number of UK fatalities to 204. |
| The Ministry of Defence said the soldiers were from the 2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. | The Ministry of Defence said the soldiers were from the 2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. |
| They died following an explosion while on patrol near Sangin in Helmand province on Sunday morning. Next of kin have been informed. | They died following an explosion while on patrol near Sangin in Helmand province on Sunday morning. Next of kin have been informed. |
| Earlier, Gordon Brown admitted it had been "a very difficult summer", but said progress was being made. | Earlier, Gordon Brown admitted it had been "a very difficult summer", but said progress was being made. |
| Speaking about the most recent deaths, Lieutenant Colonel Nick Richardson, spokesman for Task Force Helmand, said "each and every death is a tragedy". | Speaking about the most recent deaths, Lieutenant Colonel Nick Richardson, spokesman for Task Force Helmand, said "each and every death is a tragedy". |
| "Words mean very little in such an extremely sad situation but our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of these brave soldiers, " he said. | "Words mean very little in such an extremely sad situation but our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of these brave soldiers, " he said. |
| "We share their pain and mourn the loss of these true British heroes." | "We share their pain and mourn the loss of these true British heroes." |
| 'Vital' mission | |
| Five soldiers have died over the weekend - four from the 2nd Battalion the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. | |
| The grim milestone of 200 was reached on Saturday when a soldier, from the 2nd Battalion The Royal Welsh, died of his injuries at a hospital in Britain. | The grim milestone of 200 was reached on Saturday when a soldier, from the 2nd Battalion The Royal Welsh, died of his injuries at a hospital in Britain. |
| Another soldier, from the 2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, died after an explosion on Saturday while on foot patrol in Sangin. | Another soldier, from the 2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, died after an explosion on Saturday while on foot patrol in Sangin. |
| The prime minister said the whole country mourned the loss of its soldiers in Afghanistan. | |
| But he said they were engaged in a "vital" mission to protect Britain from terrorism and maintain a stable Afghanistan. | |
| Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth told the BBC it was essential to maintain support for the mission. | |
| "The spirit of our armed forces is absolutely indomitable, but everybody in the military knows you have to have the military themselves, you have to have the government, and you have to have the nation as a whole if you're going to succeed. | |
| "That trinity has to be maintained. And I just want to urge people: this is difficult; it isn't going to be a short engagement. It needs not only bravery, but patience as well." | |
| The BBC's defence correspondent Caroline Wyatt in Helmand said flags were still flying at half mast for the two soldiers who died on Saturday but UK troops would not be deterred from their work. |