Two more British soldiers killed in Afghanistan
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
London, June 15, IRNA -- Two more British soldiers have been shot dead in separate incidents in Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) in London announced Tuesday.
Both soldiers were part of security patrols and were killed in operations to improve the freedom of movement for local nationals in the Nad Ali district of Helmand province on Tuesday.
Earlier the MoD announced that a Royal Marine had died in a UK hospital after being shot in a gun battle with insurgents while on foot patrol in Sangin on Sunday.
The latest deaths bring to 298 the number of British troops killed in Afghanistan since the overthrow of the Taliban regime nearly nine years ago.
So far this year, 53 British soldiers have lost their lives in Afghanistan, including nine who have been killed since the US took over control of some 8,000 UK troops in Helmand province two weeks ago as part of a restructuring of Nato forces.
Prime Minister David Cameron, who visited British troops in Helmand province last week, warned MPs on Monday of further casualties when the "so-called fighting season resumes".
"The current year is the vital one. We are six months into an 18-month military surge and we must now redouble our efforts to drive progress," Cameron said.
"When we have succeeded in enabling the Afghans to take control of their own security, our troops can begin to come home," he said, while also emphasising that their deployment was for Britain’s “national security."
Echoing the prime minister’s remarks, Defence Secretary Liam Fox said in a speech to the Royal United Services Institute in London on Monday that British troops were in Helmand province "out of necessity, not choice".
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End News / IRNA / News Code 1179898
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