World Bulletin / News Desk

An Afghan policeman shot dead three British soldiers at a checkpoint in southern Helmand province on Sunday, Afghan officials said.

A fourth British soldier was also injured, provincial governor spokesman Daoud Ahmadi said of the attack.

The soldiers were serving with an Afghan police advisory team and were killed after a meeting at the checkpoint at Nahr-e-Saraj in Helmand, Britain's Defence Ministry said on Monday.

The assailant was injured and detained, a Defence Ministry spokesman said.

After the United States, Britain has the second-largest number of troops in Afghanistan at about 9,500, and is due to withdraw 500 by the end of the year.

Two of the soldiers killed on Sunday were from the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards and one was with the Royal Corps of Signals.