LONDON: The United Kingdom Ministry of Defense is reporting that three soldiers were reportedly killed by an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan. One official confirmed to Bikyanews.com that “the Taliban is responsible.” Corporal William Thomas Savage and Fusilier Samuel Flint both from The Royal Highland Fusiliers, 2nd Battalion, The Royal Regiment Of Scotland (2 Scots) and Private Robert Murray Hetherington from 51st Highland, 7th Battalion, The Royal Regiment Of Scotland (7 Scots) died in the blast, British newspapers reported. Another 6 servicemen were also injured – but escaped alive – when the Taliban blast hurled their 15-tonne Mastiff several meters into the air during a patrol in Helmand Province. The explosion ripped through the personnel carrier, flipping it onto its roof as it crashed to the ground, while it travelled on a hard-top road five miles north of the provincial capital Lashkar Gah. The trio were evacuated by air to the military hospital at Camp Bastion but could not be saved. It is the first time troops have died in the Mastiff, brought in specifically to combat the threat of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) – responsible for killing 75 per cent of UK military personnel in the war. BN
