Three British soldiers killed in separate attacks in Afghanistan, while taking part in one of the UK military's biggest co-ordinated air operations of modern times, are due to be named.

The Ministry of Defence said the three were involved in "deliberate" operations near Gereshk, in central Helmand, southern Afghanistan, as part of Operation Panchai Palang - or Panthers Claw - over the weekend.

Their deaths took the number of UK service personnel killed in Afghanistan since the start of operations in October 2001 to 174.

A soldier from 2nd Battalion The Mercian Regiment was killed by a rocket propelled grenade attack and a soldier from The Light Dragoons was killed by a contact explosion on Saturday, the MoD said.

The third soldier, who was killed in a contact explosion while on foot, was a member of the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards - the battalion commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Rupert Thorneloe, who became the most senior British Army officer to be killed since the Falklands War last week. Next of kin have been informed.

Lt Col Thorneloe was killed in a blast which hit his Viking armoured vehicle near Lashkar Gah, in Helmand province, on Wednesday.

They were all taking part in Operation Panthers Claw, which was launched to drive the Taliban out of strongholds in and around Babaji, north of Lashkar Gah, Helmand.

Meanwhile, a suicide car bomber struck early on Monday outside the main Nato base in southern Afghanistan, killing a civilian and wounding eight other people.

The bomber blew himself up near the gates of Kandahar Airfield, border police commander General Saifullah Hakim said. Those wounded included four civilians and four Afghan soldiers.

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