London  - Four British soldiers were killed in Afghanistan on Friday, taking the toll this year alone to 46, the Defence Ministry confirmed.

One soldier died during a routine patrol after his vehicle drove over a roadside bomb. An hour later, three soldiers on foot patrol were killed after a 13-year-old boy approached them with a wheelbarrow in which a bomb was hidden.

The boy also died in the explosion. Officials said it was unclear whether the boy was a suicide bomber or whether the explosive was triggered by someone else with a remote control.

With these deaths, the total number of British troops killed in Afghanistan has increased to 132. (dpa)