Three British soldiers killed in Afghanistan roadside bomb blast in Helmand Three British soldiers have been killed in a roadside bombing in Afghanistan, the largest number of fatalities in one attack for some time, as international forces prepare to leave the 12 year old war The Ministry of Defence confirmed their deaths this morning and the soldiers' next of kin have been informed. The soldiers, from the Royal Highland Fusiliers, 2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland were travelling in Mastiff armoured vehicle hit by an improvised explosive device (IED) in the Nahr-e-Seraj district of Helmand. Six others were injured in the blast, their condition is not said to be life threatening. Nine Afghans are also reported to be injured. The convoy was on Route 611, a newly constructed road which had been used to showcase the reconstruction and development which has been taking place in the province. Searches for IEDs are being increasingly carried out by Afghan army and police who are taking over security duties as international forces disengage from combat. It is believed the explosive device, detonated at around 2pm local time, had been hidden in stretch of the road which had been in regular use ad was believed to be in a safe area. Major Richard Morgan, spokesman for Task Force Helmand, said: "It is with deep sadness that I must confirm that three soldiers from The Royal Highland Fusiliers, 2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland, have died after their vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand Province. Their deaths come as a great loss to all those serving in Task Force Helmand. Our thoughts and prayers are extended to their family and friends at this difficult time. A Ministry of Defence spokesman said the incident underlines the continued danger faced by soldiers as they prepare to pull out of Afghanistan in 2014. "Our thoughts are with the families who have lost loved ones in this incident, which underlines the threats faced by our personnel as they continue to hand over security operations to their Afghan counterparts ahead of UK combat operations concluding by the end of next year," he said. Security in Helmand, where most UK forces are based, is steadily improving with Afghan forces already responsible for the bulk of the province - but the environment in which our troops operate remains risky and dangerous, including the threat of improvised explosive devices and insurgent attack. We will continue to do all we can to minimise these risks but they can never be removed entirely. The deaths bring the total of UK military losses since 2001 to 444. Three have been killed so far this year, the last of whom was 24 year old Lance Corporal Jamie Webb, from Wythenshawe in Greater Manchester who died last month during an attack on a patrol base in the Nad-e-Ali district of Helmand. Six British servicemen were killed in March last year when their armoured vehicle was struck by an IED, the worst single loss of lives for British forces since 14 died when a Nimrod aircraft crashed in 2006. So called "insider attacks" in which Afghan security forces had turned their guns on Western allies had led to deaths of five members of the Grenadier Guards battlegroup and three from Royal Gurkha Rifles in separate attacks. The latest deaths come at a time when UK forces have drastically scaled down military operations with Afghans taking the lead. This had led to headlines in the media stating that Britain's Afghan war was over. Commanders have become concerned that this may have painted a false sense of security for the public back home especially with the onset of the fighting season which both sides in the conflict expect to be extremely violent this year. Lieutenant General Nick Carter, the head of British forces in Afghanistan, warned in an interview with The Independent that drawing down forces too fast in this crucial period would risk jeopardising the gains being made and undermine the exit strategy. The Taliban announced last weekend that it's 'spring offensive' has started with a series of bombing and shootings. In another attack yesterday, four civilians were killed and half dozen injured in the Shah Wali Kot district of Kandahar. The insurgents also declared their writ was running in large parts of the country, publicising the case of a father who executed his 18 year old daughter, on their order, after she had run away from the family home in Bagdhis province.