Three soldiers with the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) were killed in southern Afghanistan on Thursday when their patrol was struck by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) and then attacked by insurgents with small arms fire, said a statement of the alliance issued here on Friday. It added that 'the patrol responded to the attack but three service members died in the engagement.' Meantime, British Defense Ministry, according to media reports, confirmed three British soldiers died and another sustained injuries in the incident Thursday in Lashkar Gah city of Helmand province in southern Afghanistan. Some 8,000 British troops have been deployed in the restive Helmand province combating insurgents and helping with reconstruction there. A total of seven international troops have been killed during the past two days as Taliban militants have vowed to intensify assaults during the elections set for August 20. 