Two British soldiers killed in Afghan offensive
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
London, Feb 19, IRNA -- Two more British soldiers have been killed while taking part in a major offensive against the Taliban in southern Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence has announced.
One soldier was shot on Thursday afternoon in the Nad-e-Ali area of central Helmand, while the other was killed earlier in an explosion in the Babaji area.
Three British soldiers have died during Operation Moshtarak - a massive joint UK, US and Afghan assault involving some 15,000 troops that was launched on insurgent strongholds last week.
The first British soldier, involved in the offensive, died in an explosion last Saturday while on vehicle patrol near Lashkar Gah, in Helmand, on Saturday.
The UK forces have been concentrating their efforts on Nad-e-Ali, with US Marines fighting to take the nearby town of Marjah from the Taliban.
The latest deaths bring the British toll to 12 so far this month, double the number killed in January.
Altogether a total of 263 UK troops have died in Afghanistan since the overthrow of the Taliban regime in 2001.
The head of the British army, Gen Sir David Richards, has said the aim of Operation Moshtarak was to flush out the remaining pockets of Taliban resistance in Helmand province.
"The aim is to clear them from their bomb-making factories and allow us to ensure we can provide that greater cloak of security to the vast majority of people in Helmand who don't actually want the Taliban to rule them again," Richards said.
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End News / IRNA / News Code 967595
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