NI base troops die in Afghanistan

Fifteen UK soldiers have died in Afghanistan in the last 10 days

Five British soldiers from a Northern Ireland based regiment have been killed in Afghanistan.

The five, from the 2nd Battalion The Rifles, died in two separate blasts while on foot patrol near Sangin, Helmand province on Friday.

Next of kin have been informed. It is not believed the soldiers are from Northern Ireland.

The regiment is based at Ballykinler, County Down. Fifteen soldiers have died in 10 days in southern Afghanistan.

The deaths take the number of troops killed in Afghanistan since 2001 to 184.

One woman who laid flowers outside the County Down base on Saturday said: "If it wasn't for them, I fear what would happen to us."

Earlier on Friday, it was confirmed a British soldier from the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment died near Nad Ali in Helmand. That news came just hours after the deaths of another two soldiers were announced.

Those two soldiers died on Thursday evening. One was from 4th Battalion The Rifles and he was killed in a blast while on foot patrol near Nad Ali.

The second, from Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment, attached to 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, was killed during an engagement with insurgent forces near Lashkar Gah.