Danish troops die in Afghanistan

Three Danish soldiers have been killed in the southern Afghan province of Helmand, Denmark's military has said. The soldiers were reported to have been leading a convoy when their vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb or mine. Twenty-five Danish soldiers have died in Afghanistan since Denmark joined the US-led coalition in 2002. Denmark has about 700 military personnel stationed in Afghanistan, mostly based in Helmand, a turbulent stronghold of Taliban militants. Danish Foreign Minister Soren Gade told the country's TV2 news channel he had learnt of the soldiers' deaths "with great dismay". The soldiers were taken by helicopter to the British Camp Bastion base but were declared dead on arrival. There are currently more than 70,000 foreign troops in Afghanistan, mostly under Nato command. But coalition forces have struggled to contain the Taliban insurgency in the south of the country in recent years.