Danish troops die in Afghanistan

Three Danish soldiers have been killed in the southern Afghan province of Helmand, Denmark's military has said. The soldiers were reported to have been leading a convoy when their vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb or mine. Twenty-five Danish soldiers have died in Afghanistan since Denmark joined the US-led coalition in 2002. Denmark has about 700 military personnel stationed in Afghanistan, mostly based in Helmand, a turbulent stronghold of Taliban militants. Danish Foreign Minister Soren Gade told the country's TV2 news channel he had learnt of the soldiers' deaths "with great dismay". The soldiers were taken by helicopter to the British Camp Bastion base but were declared dead on arrival. There are currently more than 70,000 foreign troops in Afghanistan, mostly under Nato command. But coalition forces have struggled to contain the Taliban insurgency in the south of the country in recent years.

Policeman shot dead in Greece

Police at the scene of the shooting Gunmen have shot dead a policeman in an early morning attack in the Greek capital, Athens. The officer was hit many times as he sat in a car on guard duty outside the home of a witness in a terrorism trial. The trial involves a now-defunct left-wing group known as the Revolutionary People's Struggle. Officials say no attempt was made by the unidentified attackers to approach the home of the witness. Reports say there were at least two gunmen. There have been a number of acts of violence blamed on left-wing and anarchist groups since the killing of a 15-year-old boy by police in December. That incident sparked the worst riots in Greece for many years. Multiple gunshots The coroner, Philippos Koutsaftis, said the 41-year-old policeman shot on Wednesday was carrying a holstered firearm. "He was hit many times by shots that appear to have been fired at close range," Mr Koutsaftis said. A police spokesman, Panagiotis Stathis, said the victim had been shot with "at least 15 to 20 bullets". Police say the attackers disappeared into the streets of the Patissia district and a hunt was launched in the area to try to find them. The left-wing group at the centre of the trial, the Revolutionary People's Struggle - or ELA - was blamed for many attacks in Greece over a 20-year period, before disbanding in the mid-1990s. The attack was similar to one claimed by another left-wing group in January. On that occasion, the officer targeted survived.