The bodies of the three soldiers killed while on duty in Afghanistan were flown home to the UK today.
Lance Bombardier Matthew Hatton, 23, from North Yorkshire, was struck by a makeshift bomb in Helmand province last Thursday.
Rifleman Daniel Wild, 19, from County Durham and Captain Mark Hale, 42, from Bournemouth, then attempted to help him, but all three were fatally injured in a second blast.
Their bodies were flown to RAF Lyneham, in Wiltshire, today with a flypast followed by a private ceremony for their families.
The three men had been on foot patrol providing security for a meeting ahead of the country's presidential elections when they were killed.
Concerns have been raised about the security of the Afghan elections, which are due to start on Thursday. There has been mounting violence, with a suicide attack and two rocket attacks on the presidential palace reported earlier today in Kabul.
An investigation by the BBC also suggests evidence of fraud and corruption in the run up to the lections, saying: 'Thousands of voting cards have been offered for sale and thousands of dollars offered in bribes to buy votes'.
There are an estimated 15 million eligible to vote in Afghanistan.
Lance Bombardier Matthew Hatton, 23, from North Yorkshire, was struck by a makeshift bomb in Helmand province last Thursday.
Rifleman Daniel Wild, 19, from County Durham and Captain Mark Hale, 42, from Bournemouth, then attempted to help him, but all three were fatally injured in a second blast.
Their bodies were flown to RAF Lyneham, in Wiltshire, today with a flypast followed by a private ceremony for their families.
The three men had been on foot patrol providing security for a meeting ahead of the country's presidential elections when they were killed.
Concerns have been raised about the security of the Afghan elections, which are due to start on Thursday. There has been mounting violence, with a suicide attack and two rocket attacks on the presidential palace reported earlier today in Kabul.
An investigation by the BBC also suggests evidence of fraud and corruption in the run up to the lections, saying: 'Thousands of voting cards have been offered for sale and thousands of dollars offered in bribes to buy votes'.
There are an estimated 15 million eligible to vote in Afghanistan.
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