After eight British soldiers were killed within 24 hours in Afghanistan, the British military's death toll in the war-torn country is now higher than in Iraq.

The spike in fatalities means that Britain has now lost 184 troops in Afghanistan since operations began in 2001 -- surpassing the 179 killed in Iraq since the US-led invasion in 2003.

Britain's death toll has increased sharply since its forces launched a major airborne assault, codenamed Operation Panther's Claw, three weeks ago against a Taliban stronghold near Gereshk in the strife-torn southern Helmand province.

In the latest deaths to hit the 8,300 British troops in the country, Britain's Ministry of Defense said five soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, The Rifles, were killed on Friday in two separate explosions while on the same patrol near Sangin in the troubled southern Helmand Province.

Meanwhile, a soldier from the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment was also killed in an explosion near Nad Ali in central Helmand.

It was announced earlier on Friday that a soldier from the 4th Battalion, The Rifles, was killed on Thursday in a "contact explosion" while on a foot patrol in Helmand.

The ministry also announced that a soldier from the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment attached to the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, died on Thursday in a gun battle with insurgents near Lashkar Gah in Helmand.

The attack in which the five soldiers died was one of the worst single incidents in terms of British casualties since the start of operations in Afghanistan.

SG/SME/MMA