Two soldiers killed in Afghanistan

Two British troops have been killed in southern Afghanistan, while an American soldier has been captured by militants in the country's eastern region.

US Marines wait for a night assault in Afghanistan s Helmand province US Marines wait for a night assault in Afghanistan's Helmand province

Another six members of Nato forces were wounded in the attack in Helmand Province on Wednesday involving an improvised explosive device (IED).

News of the British fatalities came as American forces launched a massive pre-dawn operation in Taliban-controlled areas of Helmand.

One of the dead soldiers was serving with the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, the other was a member of the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment. A Ministry of Defence spokesman said the soldiers were killed while on Operation Panthers Claw near Lashkar Gah in central Helmand province.

Spokesman for Task Force Helmand, Lieutenant Colonel Nick Richardson, said: "The loss of these brave soldiers has hit us all very deeply; we grieve for them at this very sad time. Our thoughts and prayers are with their families, friends and colleagues who feel the greatest loss."

The MoD said the soldiers' next of kin had been informed and had asked for a 24-hour period of grace before further details were released.

The deaths took the number of UK servicemen and women who have died in Afghanistan since the start of operations in October 2001 to 171.

The US operation in Helmand involves nearly 4,000 newly-arrived US Marines and 650 Afghan troops.

The operation - named Khanjar, or Strike of the Sword - is aimed at clearing insurgents from the region ahead of Afghanistan's presidential election in August.

Limited numbers of American forces have been operating in Helmand for some time, including around the town of Now Zad. But in recent months they have been bolstered by around 10,000 extra troops as part of US President Barack Obama's military surge in Afghanistan.

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