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British Soldiers Ambushed In Afghan

A Taliban ambush in south-west Afghanistan (Helmand province), recently taken over by NATO forces from US, has led to the death of three British soldiers.

After the death of two British soldiers, the third one, initially reported missing, has been confirmed dead by NATO representatives, following the ambush on August 1st:

"We now have confirmation of three killed in action," an ISAF spokesperson said.

In 2006 alone, close to ten British soldiers have lost their lives in Afghanistan, while the death toll for international armed forces in Afghanistan is over 60.

British Defense Ministry initial statement:

"Two U.K. soldiers have died. One is missing presumed killed and another is seriously injured."

NATO took over the south of Afghanistan from the US forces as the latter intend to withdraw several thousand soldiers from the area, as only 20 thousand troopers are expected to remain in the combat zone by the end of the year.

An operation run on a village in SE Kost led to the capture of 4 al-Qaida members, according to a statement given by the coalition.

ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) operates in Afghanistan, maintaining peace by means of nine thousand troops. ISAF focuses on the stabilization of Kabul and nearby regions. Main opponents of ISAF are the Taliban insurgents and the al-Qaida terrorist organization, both financed by local warlords and drug-runners to provide continuous unrest in the country, so that their illegal operations cannot be put to an end.

The Helmand province draws its name from the Helmand River that flows through it, quite rare for the desert-like region. The presence of water allowed the Helmand region to become an extremely competitive opium-producer, claiming 20% of the opium found worldwide.