London  - The families of British servicemen killed when a Royal Air Force Nimrod aircraft exploded in mid-air in Afghanistan two years ago launched legal action against the government Monday.

Two of the families of the 14 victims served a writ, accusing the Ministry of Defence (MoD) of negligence by failing to minimise risk and breaching the troops' right to life.

It is the first time Britain's MoD has faced a legal challenge under the European Convention on Human Rights, experts said.

If successful, the proceedings could open the way for other families to sue the government over the death of relatives in the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, they said.

The servicemen were killed when the Nimrod spy plane exploded just minutes after undergoing air-to-air refuelling on September 2, 2006.

An inquiry in May found that the blast was caused by fuel leaking into a dry bay and igniting on contact with a hot air pipe, and called for Britain's Nimrod fleet to be grounded.

The government has not heeded that call, but agreed to stop air-to-air refuelling of the aircraft. (dpa)