Two British Soldiers Die in Southern Afghanistan
Deaths come in third phase of huge offensive in Helmand province involving 700 troops
Two more British soldiers have been killed in attacks in southern Afghanistan, the Ministry of defense said today.
A soldier from 2nd Battalion the Mercian Regiment was killed by a rocket-propelled grenade and a soldier from the Light Dragoons was killed in an explosion. Both families have been told about the attacks, which happened on Saturday in the third phase of Operation Panther's Claw, a big offensive involving more than 700 British troops.
The two soldiers were killed during an operation near Gereshk, in central Helmand province.
Their deaths bring the total number of British personnel killed in Afghanistan since 2001 to 173. Twenty have been killed over the past two months.
The most senior army officer to die in action since 1982 was killed in Helmand on Wednesday.
Lt Col Rupert Thorneloe, commanding officer of the Welsh Guards, died alongside Trooper Joshua Hammond when their Viking armoured vehicle hit an improvised explosive device.
Brig Gen Eric Tremblay, a spokesman for the International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) in Afghanistan, described the insurgents yesterday as "desperate and they are employing desperate tactics".
A British military spokesman said that more than 750 British and Afghan troops were sweeping through the area both in vehicles and on foot, moving through crops criss-crossed with irrigation ditches.
British and US specialists had seized more than 50 improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in the area of the Nahr-e-Burgha canal‚ "evidence of the threat that still exists", the spokesman said.
The Afghan national security forces were helping to man checkpoints at the recently captured crossings.
"Over coming days, the operation will seek to expand the influence of Afghan governance, to win the consent of the local people and to enable them to feel safe and willing to take part in the forthcoming presidential elections," a British Helmand task force spokesman said.
Lt Col Nick Richardson described it as a "strategically important" operation complementing the US-led Operation Khanjari. It has several phases. "We have already secured the crossings along two major waterways to the north of Lashkar Gah, recovered a large number of IEDs, fought back the enemy in several locations and cleared villages along the way", he said.
"We have suffered losses, but we will not be deterred. Throughout the rest of this challenging operation we will consolidate these gains and expand our area of influence so that lasting security and stability can be restored to this region."
About 4,000 US troops are also engaged in a major surge further south in Helmand.
A soldier from 2nd Battalion the Mercian Regiment was killed by a rocket-propelled grenade and a soldier from the Light Dragoons was killed in an explosion. Both families have been told about the attacks, which happened on Saturday in the third phase of Operation Panther's Claw, a big offensive involving more than 700 British troops.
The two soldiers were killed during an operation near Gereshk, in central Helmand province.
Their deaths bring the total number of British personnel killed in Afghanistan since 2001 to 173. Twenty have been killed over the past two months.
The most senior army officer to die in action since 1982 was killed in Helmand on Wednesday.
Lt Col Rupert Thorneloe, commanding officer of the Welsh Guards, died alongside Trooper Joshua Hammond when their Viking armoured vehicle hit an improvised explosive device.
Brig Gen Eric Tremblay, a spokesman for the International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) in Afghanistan, described the insurgents yesterday as "desperate and they are employing desperate tactics".
A British military spokesman said that more than 750 British and Afghan troops were sweeping through the area both in vehicles and on foot, moving through crops criss-crossed with irrigation ditches.
British and US specialists had seized more than 50 improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in the area of the Nahr-e-Burgha canal‚ "evidence of the threat that still exists", the spokesman said.
The Afghan national security forces were helping to man checkpoints at the recently captured crossings.
"Over coming days, the operation will seek to expand the influence of Afghan governance, to win the consent of the local people and to enable them to feel safe and willing to take part in the forthcoming presidential elections," a British Helmand task force spokesman said.
Lt Col Nick Richardson described it as a "strategically important" operation complementing the US-led Operation Khanjari. It has several phases. "We have already secured the crossings along two major waterways to the north of Lashkar Gah, recovered a large number of IEDs, fought back the enemy in several locations and cleared villages along the way", he said.
"We have suffered losses, but we will not be deterred. Throughout the rest of this challenging operation we will consolidate these gains and expand our area of influence so that lasting security and stability can be restored to this region."
About 4,000 US troops are also engaged in a major surge further south in Helmand.
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