Incidents of rouge killings are increasing in Afghanistan, jeopardising relations between NATO and local police a member of which gunned down three British soldiers on Sunday after a scuffle broke out between the two parties at a checkpoint in Helmand province.

A statement from the Defence Ministry confirmed on Monday that the soldiers were working with an Afghan police advisory unit. The policeman who carried out the attack has been injured, along with one British soldier, and taken into custody, the Defence Ministry said.

The latest killings add to the mounting death toll Britain has suffered since it sent troops to Afghanistan in 2001, notified Defence Secretary Philip Hammond. So far 422 British military personnel have lost their lives in Afghanistan, Hammond informed.

It is learned that the two of the three deceased soldiers were from the first battalion Welsh Guards and the other from the Royal Corps of Signals. Their nearest relatives have been informed of the mishap, sources said.

“Their loss will be felt deeply across Task Force Helmand. However, this will be nothing compared to the grief experienced by the soldiers’ families”, spokesman for Task Force Helmand Major Ian Lawrence said.

It may be noted that the NATO alliance is expected to leave Afghanistan in 2014. But as long as the foreign combat troops are present in the war-stricken country, they will continue to do what they are asked to do, Defence Secretary Hammond said firmly.

“Though deeply tragic, yesterday’s incident and attacks like it will not derail the mission or distract us from the task in hand”, Hammond reiterated in a statement.

Great Britain has the second largest troops presence in Afghanistan, next to the United States. About 9,500 British combat personnel are deployed in the South Asian nation.

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