Two British soldiers killed in Afghanistan | World news

• Thursday 24 March 2011 10.11 GMT

• Article history

 

Irish Guards on operation in Afghanistan. The two men were on their way back to camp when their vehicle was hit. Photograph: Lance Corporal Jeremy Fasci/PA

Two British soldiers were killed after their vehicle hit an explosive device in Helmand province, less than a week before they were due to return home.

The two men from the 1st Battalion Irish Guards were killed on Thursday on their way back from a successful mission in the Nahr-e Saraj district, the Ministry of Defence has confirmed.

The soldiers were working alongside Danish soldiers to disrupt insurgent activity and search compounds in the south of the country.

A spokesman for the taskforce in Helmand said they were on their way back to camp to commence their handover after a successful mission when their vehicle was hit.

The deaths of the two soldiers bring the total number of British fatalities in Afghanistan to 362 since operations started in 2001.

The soldiers' families have been informed.