Northern Ireland soldiers injured in a bomb blast in Afghanistan said last night they were “lucky to be alive”.

Rangers Martin Delaney (23) and David Pepper (22) were among six men wounded when an improvised explosive device (IED) blew up their patrol in Sangin — a Taliban stronghold in the north of Helmand Province.

The incident, the worst single attack on Royal Irish Regiment troops since their arrivalin March, occurred last Friday.

Speaking from the field hospital at Camp Bastion — where medics from Northern Ireland have assumed responsibility for care — Ranger Delaney told of how the attack left him shaken.

The Dublin-born Ranger, who is on his first operational tour of duty, sustained facial injuries and is the last to remain at the field hospital recovering after surgery.

He said: “I was walking behind the vehicle which went over an IED. The vehicle was blown in half. I got shrapnel wounds to my leg and face. One of the other lads got flown back to the UK.

“It shook me up. I’m looking to go on my R&R. I get it on the 16th of this month. I’m definitely lucky to be alive.”

Ranger David Pepper suffered arm and back injuries but was discharged from hospital on Monday.

The 22-year-old from Londonderry was the driving the vehicle hit by the IED.

He said: “I was driving it and there was a guy on top with a machine gun and a couple of guys at the side — there were only a couple of others outside — there were only two in the vehicle.

“I got a shrapnel wound in the arm and injured my back — I just got out of hospital yesterday — because I’m able to walk about so there’s no point in me staying in here. I’d rather just be back with my mates and stuff.

“It’s nice to be back with the boys. I had the RSM (Regimental Sergeant Major) in and a couple of the other high ranking officers came in as well.

“Whenever we were flown in (Camp Bastion) we rang home that night. My family didn’t believe that I was ok because every time you hear about someone being blown up — you think they have lost a limb or something worse.”

This is the first time Ranger Pepper, who served in Iraq in 2006 and is on his second tour of Afghanistan has been injured in action.

He added: “We are out patrolling every day. We do guard as well — if you’re not out patrolling you are doing guard — so it is really busy.

“I wasn’t scared before but I am a bit scared now. This is my fourth tour away – but it’s the first time I’ve been blown up. It’s the first time anything has ever happened to me. It is scary.”

The men were part of a joint Royal Irish and ANA routine patrol and prior to the attack had found two other explosive devices.

Added Ranger Pepper: “We found two IED’s on that same route we went on and obviously, the third one, was the one we went over.”

Another of the soldiers who was flown back to the UK as a precautionary measure is receiving treatment at the military hospital in Selly Oak, near Birmingham. He is said to be recovering well.

Two others have been discharged from hospital and a sixth soldier also involved in the evacuation has also been released.

Nurse Nuala Green from Dromore was among the TA medics caring for the injured soldiers at 204 Field Hospital. She normally works as an NVQ nursing assessor at Belfast City Hospital.

She said: “I think the local guys appreciate hearing local voices. It’s nice for the Royal Irish who are here to know that we are here too. However everybody gets the same treatment here, whether they are Royal Irish, Afghan or American.”