Two British soldiers killed in Afghanistan

LONDON (Reuters) - Two Royal Marines have been killed in an explosion in southern Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence said on Thursday, as a poll indicated most Britons think troops should be brought home soon.

The two soldiers were on routine patrol with Afghan Security Forces in the Garmsir district of Helmand province on Wednesday when their vehicle was struck by an explosive device.

"This is a tragic blow to us all in the Task Force, but our loss is nothing compared to that of their families and loved ones," said Commander Paula Rowe, spokesman for Task Force Helmand.

The deaths bring the number of British soldiers killed in Afghanistan since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion to oust the Taliban to 124.

The deaths come as an ICM poll conducted for the BBC found that 68 percent of the 1,013 respondents thought British forces should withdraw in the next year, with those aged 18 to 24 most opposed to the war.

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Britain has about 8,000 troops in Afghanistan, the second-largest contributor of foreign forces in the country after the United States.

British troops in Helmand are currently engaged in fierce fighting with resurgent Taliban fighters, and earlier this week Defence Secretary John Hutton said their mission was more important now than in 2001.

He said terrorists in Afghanistan posed a direct threat to British security and pulling out the troops would deal "a profoundly dangerous blow" to British interests.