The MoD said the deaths were not linked to insurgent attempts to disrupt the Afghan elections . Two British soldiers have been killed in an explosion in Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has said.

One of the soldiers was from the Queen's Royal Lancers and the other was from the Royal Engineers. Their next of kin have been informed. Task Force Helmand spokesman Lt Col James Carr-Smith said the two, who died on Saturday, would be "greatly missed".

The deaths took the number of British military personnel killed in operations in Afghanistan since 2001 to 337.

Lt Col Carr-Smith added: "It is with great sadness I must inform you that a soldier from the Queen's Royal Lancers and a soldier from the Royal Engineers were killed this afternoon west of Lashkar Gah.

"They were attached to the 1st Battalion Scots Guards Battlegroup. The soldiers were part of a ground domination patrol when they were struck by an explosion.

"They will be greatly missed and their sacrifice will not be forgotten. We will remember them."

An MoD spokesman said the deaths were not a result of insurgent activity aiming to disrupt the Afghan parliamentary elections.