By IRNA,
London : Four British Royal Marines were killed in two separate blasts in southern Afghanistan late on Friday.
According to the British Ministry of Defence, a Royal Marine was injured in an explosion in the Sangin area of Helmand province and died on the way to hospital at Camp Bastion.
Two marines from 45 Commando and one from Commando Logistics Regiment died in a second blast south of Sangin, BBC reported.
The first of the latest fatalities happened while a marine was on patrol in a Jackal armoured vehicle, intended to offer British forces better protection than the controversial Snatch Landrover.
The other three died in a wheelbarrow explosion during a routine operation against enemy forces in the area.
The blast happened as an Afghan boy pushing a wheelbarrow approached a company of British marines. It is not clear whether the boy was a suicide bomber or the device was remotely detonated.
Of those killed, one died instantly, a second died of wounds before they could be moved for hospital treatment and the third died after being taken to Camp Bastion.
Commander Paula Rowe, spokeswoman for Task Force Helmand, described the incident as “an incredibly sad day for Task Force Helmand”. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said “fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan puts our armed forces in the front line against terrorism”.
The deaths bring the number of British casualty to 132 since the Afghan war started in 2001.
In another incident late on Thursday, a British soldier serving with 20 Armoured Brigade also died at Basra airport in Iraq after shooting himself. The MoD said there was no evidence to suggest anyone else was involved.
A week ago, Lance Corporal David Wilson died in similar circumstances at the same airbase, taking the total of British troops killed in Iraq since 2003 to 178.