UK > History > 2010 > War > Afghanistan

A woman reacts as hearses carrying the bodies of

Lance Corporal Daniel Cooper of 3rd Battalion The Rifles

and Rifleman Peter Aldridge of 4th Battalion The Rifles

pass mourners along the High Street

on January 29, 2010, in Wootton Basset, England.

Photograph: Christopher Furlong

Getty Images

Boston Globe > Big Picture

Afghanistan, January, 2010

January 29, 2010

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/01/afghanistan_january_2010.html

Afghan campaign turning the corner,

says Nick Clegg

On surprise visit to Afghanistan,
deputy PM says UK forces have 'created the space'
in which a political settlement can be reached
with elements of the Taliban

Tuesday 31 August 2010
14.01 BST
Guardian.co.uk
Press Association
This article was published on guardian.co.uk
at 14.01 BST on Tuesday 31 August 2010.
It was last modified at 14.39 BST
on Tuesday 31 August 2010.

Nick Clegg said Nato's military campaign in Afghanistan was "turning the corner" today as he made a surprise visit to the troubled country.

The deputy prime minister said British forces had "created the space" in which a political settlement could be reached with elements of the Taliban who were prepared to renounce violence.

But he also made clear there would be no extension to the coalition's 2015 deadline for all British combat troops to be pulled out.

Clegg was speaking at the Camp Bastion base after spending last night and today in volatile southern Helmand province.

He praised the "bravery and professionalism" of the UK's 10,000-plus force, stressing how much the situation had improved since his only previous visit in 2008.

"We hear so much bad news," he told a group of around 50 troops training in a mocked-up Afghan village.

"Of course the country mourns when people lose their lives. People are full of anguish when there are serious injuries. But what I have seen today is a complete transformation of the military effort that I first saw when I visited two years ago.

"When I was here two years ago there were arguments about equipment, there were doubts about whether we had sufficient people and resources. There was real concern over whether we had the right strategy.

"But now, two years later ... I was in Nad-i-Ali this morning; two years ago we barely had a footprint there. Now the district governor's telling me he knows of young Taliban fighters putting down their arms to participate in a peaceful life.

"I think you are turning the corner, and what you are doing is you're creating the space for Afghan society to find its own feet," he added. "And that's the only way we're going to have stability, the only way we're going to have the kind of stability Afghanistan needs but [also] the safety of our families, our communities back home."

Clegg hinted at the need for more contacts with Taliban elements, saying leaders now had to show "courage" in pursuing a political settlement.

"The task for us politicians now is to show the same courage that you have shown, because you in a sense have created the space where we can do the work to create a political settlement. Without a political settlement this is not going to end," he added.

"The choice [for the Taliban] is this: they can either carry on fighting and they will be defeated by you, or they can put down their arms and recognise the Afghan constitution, they can turn their backs on al-Qaida and they can play a role in creating a stable Afghanistan."

Speaking to journalists after his address, Clegg dodged questions about whether military advisers believed the situation could be resolved by 2015.

"This is not something you do overnight, but we have got five years to do this right," he said. "We have been very clear; we have put a full stop at the end of our engagement. By 2015 there will not be any British combat troops in Afghanistan."

He said that commitment was "completely consistent" with president Hamid Karzai's plans for Afghan forces to take full control of security by 2014.

Clegg also insisted that deep cuts in the Ministry of Defence budget required by coalition moves to tackle the UK's budget deficit would not hit supplies for frontline troops.

"We haven't taken any decisions," he said. "But one thing I can be very clear about is that we are not going to suddenly withdraw support from one day to the next to our brave troops who are out here on the front line in Afghanistan."

Clegg's arrival had been shrouded in secrecy after concerns that the Taliban had been able to target David Cameron when he visited in June.

But, having arrived under cover of darkness, this morning the deputy prime minister still travelled to the frontline operating base of Shawqat, in the district of Nad-i-Ali, which has seen fierce fighting with insurgents over recent weeks.

District governor Habibullah Khan showed him a school, a clinic and a police station that are being constructed with British funding.

During a meeting with Helmand governor Gulab Mangal near the town of Lashkar Gah, Clegg insisted that British forces "do not want to be here for a day longer than you want us here".

He said the task was to convert "military successes into a political process that works on the ground".

But Mangal played down the prospects for meaningful contacts with senior Taliban figures in the south, saying reintegrating such people was currently "not practical in Helmand".

Clegg, who started his day by chatting with troops over breakfast at the Camp Bastion base, also saw Afghan police being trained by British forces.

He discussed experiences of the campaign with soldiers including 30-year-old army education officer Captain Helen Beighton, from Chesterfield, Captain Paul McPherson, 28, of the Royal Horse Artillery, and Kingsman Paul McDonnell, from Preston.

Afghan campaign turning the corner, says Nick Clegg, G, 31.8.2010,
    http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/aug/31/afghan-campaign-corner-nick-clegg

Royal Marine killed in Afghanistan

Marine from 40 Commando
died yesterday in the Sangin area of Helmand province

Friday 9 July 2010 09.00 BST
Guardian.co.uk
Peter Walker
This article was published on guardian.co.uk
at 09.00 BST on Friday 9 July 2010.

A Royal Marine has been killed in an explosion while on a foot patrol in southern Afghanistan, the Ministry of Defence announced today. He is the 312th member of UK forces killed in the country since the start of operations in 2001.

The marine, from 40 Commando Royal Marines, died yesterday in the remote and dangerous Sangin area of Helmand province, where 100 of the military fatalities have taken place.

Earlier this week the defence secretary, Liam Fox, announced that British troops are to pull out of Sangin and be replaced by US forces.

A spokesman for British troops in the country, Lieutenant Colonel James Carr-Smith, said the marine was on a foot patrol with fellow marines and Afghan soldiers when they were hit by an explosion.

Carr-Smith added: "He died a marine, in the course of his duty and whilst improving the lives of local nationals in Sangin. His bravery and sacrifice will not be forgotten. We will remember him."

The marine's family have been informed, but his name has not yet been released.

    Royal Marine killed in Afghanistan, G, 9.7.2010, http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/jul/09/royal-marine-killed-afghanistan

British troops to withdraw from Sangin in Afghanistan

Exclusive: US forces to replace British in district of Helmand province where about a third of all UK casualties have occurred

Patrick Wintour and Richard Norton-Taylor
Guardian.co.uk
Tuesday 6 July 2010
18.06 BST
This article was published on guardian.co.uk at 18.06 BST on Tuesday 6 July 2010.
A version appeared on p1 of the Main section section of the Guardian on Wednesday 7 July 2010.
It was last modified at 22.39 BST on Tuesday 6 July 2010.

British forces are to be pulled out of Sangin, the remote district of Helmand that has become the most deadly place in Afghanistan for Nato soldiers.

The government will announce that British troops are to be replaced by some of the 20,000 US soldiers already in Helmand.

Out of the 312 British service personnel to have died in Afghanistan, more than 100 were killed in Sangin, the scene of some of the most intense fighting against the Taliban.

Political sources said the news would be presented as part of a reorganisation of coalition forces in the province. Britain will concentrate on the centre, leaving the north and south to the US.

But the pullout is likely to raise questions over whether holding the remote outpost was worth the cost in British casualties.

There has been a long debate in the British military, including during the previous government, over whether holding Sangin required UK forces to be spread too thinly.

Some within Whitehall argued that troops were left vulnerable because British intelligence had been unable to get a grip on the tribal structure in the area, making it hard to cut deals with the key players and therefore protect UK forces.

Although only a tenth of UK forces in Afghanistan are deployed there, it has accounted for about a third of all British casualties. The Royal Marines are currently holding the post.

One source said of the decision to withdraw: "I hope it will not be portrayed as a retreat. There may be people in the media who want to do that. It is a consolidation of UK forces so that we can get the proper density of UK forces in central Helmand."

The US has been pouring extra troops into Helmand, making it easier for British forces to pull out of vulnerable outposts. It is understood the redeployment was discussed with the US president, Barack Obama, when he and David Cameron held a bilateral meeting in Toronto on the margins of the G20 summit.

Cameron has always been sceptical about the value of the Sangin deployment, and recognises that it has undermined fragile UK support for the Afghanistan operation. During his Toronto visit, Cameron reiterated his belief, first expressed while in opposition, that UK forces would no longer be in Afghanistan by the next election, due to be held in 2015.

British military commanders have been agonising for weeks over the decision to pull UK troops out of Sangin. They had hoped the US would reinforce British soldiers and marines there, because they did not want it to appear as though they were leaving when the situation got too difficult having been saved by the Americans.

Similar criticism rankled when Britain pulled troops from Basra in 2007.

British commanders have been concerned, too, that it might seem as though many British soldiers died in vain.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said tonight: "UK forces continue to make real progress across Helmand including in Sangin, one of the most contested and challenging areas in southern Afghanistan. Isaf [International Security Assistant Force] is responsible for ensuring the most effective allocation of international forces to deliver the campaign strategy in Afghanistan and the UK fully supports Isaf commanders in this aim. Any changes to force lay down affecting UK personnel will be announced in the usual way."

Scores of British troops have been killed in Sangin since Tony Blair sent more than 3,000 servicemen and women to Helmand in 2006. Sangin has a long history of being troublesome for foreign troops. It was the scene of the first major military engagement in the south of the country during the second Anglo-Afghan war of 1878, when the British fought a cavalry battle against 1,500 fighters.

Hundreds of mourners gathered today for the funeral of Marine Richard Hollington, who became the 300th British servicemen to die in Afghanistan after he was injured in a blast in Sangin on 12 June.

    British troops to withdraw from Sangin in Afghanistan, G, 6.7.2010, http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/jul/06/british-troops-sangin-withdrawal-afghanistan

British soldier killed in Afghanistan blast

Serviceman from Royal Dragoon Guards died on vehicle patrol in Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand province

Monday 5 July 2010
16.57 BST
Guardian.co.uk
Press Association
This article was published on guardian.co.uk at 16.57 BST on Monday 5 July 2010.
A version appeared in the Guardian on Tuesday 6 July 2010.
It was last modified at 17.12 BST on Monday 5 July 2010.
 

A British soldier was killed in an explosion in southern Afghanistan today, the Ministry of Defence said.

The serviceman, from the Royal Dragoon Guards, died on vehicle patrol in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand province. His family have been informed.

Lieutenant Colonel James Carr-Smith, spokesman for Task Force Helmand, said: "He was part of a screening force that was providing protection to enable the building of a road in the Babaji area such that local Afghans could move more freely when he was struck by an explosion.

"He died in the course of his duty and among his fellow soldiers. His courage and sacrifice will not be forgotten. We will remember him."

A total of 311 British troops have died since the start of the Afghan campaign in 2001.

    British soldier killed in Afghanistan blast, G, 5.7.2010, http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/jul/05/british-soldier-killed-afghanistan-blast

Royal Marine is 300th British death in Afghanistan

British military death toll in Afghanistan hits 300 after nine years of war

Monday 21 June 2010
10.47 BST
Guardian.co.uk
Maev Kennedy and agencies

The MoD today confirmed the 300th British fatality in Afghanistan, a widely anticipated but still grim milestone in the nine-year war.

The dead soldier's name is not being released yet at the request of his family, but he was a Royal Marine from 40 Commando who was gravely injured in an explosion while on patrol in the Sangin district of Helmand on 12 June. He died yesterday at the New Queen Elizabeth hospital in Birmingham.

The marine was the 15th to die in the province in the last month. Another marine from 40 Commando, injured by small arms fire in Sangin on the following day, died last week in the same hospital.

David Cameron described the announcement as "desperately sad news".

"Of course, the 300th death is no more or less tragic than the 299 that came before. But it's a moment for the whole country to reflect on the incredible service and sacrifice and dedication that the armed forces give on our behalf."

The prime minister acknowledged that many people were questioning Britain's role in the war.

"We are paying a high price for keeping our country safe, for making our world a safer place and we should keep asking why we are there and how long we must be there," he said.

"We are there because the Afghans are not yet ready to keep their own country safe and to keep terrorists and terrorist training camps out of their country."


The defence secretary, Liam Fox, acknowledged growing public unease but forcefully defended UK involvement: "Our armed forces are the best in the world, operating daily in the most dangerous and demanding conditions. Some have made the ultimate sacrifice to ensure this essential mission succeeds.

"My thoughts and those of the nation's are with the families and friends of all those servicemen and women who have fallen but our resolve and determination to see the mission through remains steadfast."

He insisted the forces in Afghanistan were defending British national security. "Their efforts will bring security and stability to Afghanistan and prevent it from once again becoming a base from which terrorists can attack the UK and our allies around the world.

"The last nine years have seen British forces at the forefront of the campaign, for the last five working hard in one of the most challenging areas of the country building Afghan capacity to secure and govern their own country – a process which ultimately will allow us to bring our forces home."

The chief of defence staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup, said the news would increase the determination of the troops on the ground: "Our armed forces take enormous pride in their role in Afghanistan where they are helping to provide security to protect our freedoms at home.

"We remember everyone who has given their life in the line of duty and honour the significant progress they have helped to deliver in Afghanistan."

Last week, Cameron, having made his first visit to Afghanistan as prime minister and knowing that the 300th fatality was inevitable, warned the House of Commons there would be more casualties over the summer. He said the war had reached a critical phase: "Our forces will not remain in Afghanistan a day longer than is necessary and I want to bring them home the moment it is safe to do so."

Within days the deaths were announced of Marine Steven James Birdsall, from 40 Commando Royal Marines, who died in the Birmingham hospital of gunshot wounds from an attack on 13 June; two Fijian-born soldiers, Corporal Taniela Tolevu Rogoiruwai and Kingsman Ponipate Tagitaginimoce, from 1st Battalion The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment, in separate incidents on Tuesday, and 21-year-old trooper Ashley Smith, from York, who became the 299th casualty on Friday.

Of the 300 British forces and Ministry of Defence (MoD) civilian deaths since October 2001, 265 were killed by enemy action, and 35 died of illness, non-combat injuries or accidents. Almost 3,500 injured or ill military and civilian personnel have been evacuated by air for treatment in the UK.

In contrast with earlier deaths, mainly victims of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) planted beside roads, half the recent casualties have been from small arms fire, indicating that the insurgents are still well supplied with guns and ammunition.

Although the US has lost far more soldiers, a UK report has found that the rate of British deaths has been almost four times higher, and double that which classifies warfare as "major combat".

The analysis, by the Medical Research Council's biostatistics unit at Cambridge University, shows the death rate reached 13 per 1,000 personnel years in the 12 months to May. The official classification of major combat is reached at six per 1,000 personnel years. In February and May, the UK death rate reached 9.9 per 1,000 personnel years, compared with 2.7 for US forces. The death rate has also doubled in Afghanistan since 2006.

    Royal Marine is 300th British death in Afghanistan, G, 21.6.2010, http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/jun/21/royal-marine-300th-british-death-afghanistan

British soldier killed in Afghanistan

Royal Dragoon Guard died in explosion north of Lashkar Gah in Helmand province

Friday 18 June 2010 18.29 BST
Guardian.co.uk
Richard Norton-Taylor
 

A British soldier was killed by an explosion in southern Afghanistan today , according to the Ministry of Defence. His death took the number of British troops who have died since operations in Afghanistan began in 2001 to 299.

The soldier who died this afternoon was from the Royal Dragoon Guards, and was guarding his comrades when hit by the blast in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand, north of the provincial capital Lashkar Gah.

Fourteen British soldiers have been killed in Helmand over the past month, half of them by small arms fire, indicating that insurgents have a ready supply of guns and ammunition.

In recent weeks the majority of British military fatalities have been the result of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) planted near roads and paths.

The latest MoD figures show that attacks on British and US soldiers have increased after the opium poppy harvest. British and US military commanders have warned about a high level of casualties in southern Afghanistan over the coming summer and autumn months.

Lieutenant Colonel James Carr-Smith, spokesman for Taskforce Helmand, paid tribute to the soldier killed today. He said: "He was providing security for a patrol that was conducting a clearance operation when tragically he was struck by an explosion.

"He died doing his duty. He was a courageous and dedicated soldier who made the ultimate sacrifice. He will be greatly missed."

    British soldier killed in Afghanistan, G, 18.6.2010, http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/jun/18/british-soldier-killed-in-afghanistan

Two British soldiers killed in Afghan firefight

 

June 5, 2010
From Times Online
Judith Evans

Two British soldiers have been killed in a firefight in Afghanistan’s southern province of Helmand, in the area soldiers tried to secure earlier this year with the Operation Moshtarak spring offensive.

The soldiers, from 1st Battalion The Mercian Regiment, died under small arms fire from the Taleban yesterday afternoon in Nahr-e Saraj in the Gereshk area. They had been attached to the Royal Gurkha Rifles Battle Group.

Their families have been told and have asked for a period of grace before their names are released.

A spokesman for Task Force Helmand, Lieutenant Colonel James Carr-Smith, said: “They will be sorely missed and we will remember them.”

The deaths bring the number of British troops killed in Afghanistan to 292.

Families of dead soldiers gathered at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire today for a service to dedicate the names of the 119 British soldiers killed last year — 2010 was the bloodiest year for British troops since the Falklands conflict.

The Earl of Wessex joined the relatives for this morning’s private service, which will include a two-minute silence. The Venerable Ray Pentland QHC, chaplain-in-chief at the Royal Air Force, said of those who died: “Let us chant their names and call them home.”

In Kandahar, also in south Afghanistan, a bomb killed one Afghan policeman today and injured 14, including five children.

In April the Coldstream Guards handed over the Nahr-e Saraj (South) area to the Royal Gurkha Rifles following Operation Moshtarak, a drive to push the Taleban out of the Marja area of Afghanistan’s poppy-growing belt.

Gunner Zack Cusack, of 4th Regiment Royal Artillery, was killed there in a firefight on 26 May while patrolling with the Afghan National Army.

Most of Britain’s Afghan casualties have occurred in Helmand, where British troops have been deployed since 2006 and have taken part in major offensives including Moshtarak and Panther’s Claw, which killed 41 British soldiers last year. Seven British soldiers were killed in Helmand last month alone.

The 8,000 British troops in Helmand now answer to a US general after a major shake-up divided the province into two areas and diminished Britain’s role. Some 1,100 Royal Marines are to become part of an American combat team.

    Two British soldiers killed in Afghan firefight, Ts, 5.6.2010, http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/afghanistan/article7144637.ece

Two British soldiers killed in Afghanistan explosion

Servicemen from Royal Anglian Regiment caught in blast in Musa Qala area of Helmand province

Wednesday 17 March
2010 10.34 GMT
Guardian.co.uk
Adam Gabbatt
This article was published on guardian.co.uk at 10.34 GMT on Wednesday 17 March 2010.
It was last modified at 10.34 GMT on Wednesday 17 March 2010.

Two British soldiers have died in an explosion in southern Afghanistan.

The Ministry of Defence said the soldiers, from 1st Battalion the Royal Anglian Regiment – part of the Household Cavalry Regiment Battle Group – were caught in a blast in the north of Helmand province yesterday.

The soldiers' next of kin have been informed.

They were part of an ongoing operation to clear insurgents from an area north of Musa Qala District Centre when they were hit by a single improvised bomb, said Lt Col David Wakefield, spokesman for Task Force Helmand.

"The soldiers were approximately 20 kilometres to the north of Musa Qala District Centre and were part of an ongoing operation to clear insurgents from an area where, until recently, the insurgents had held sway," Wakefield said.

Wakefield said the deaths were not associated with Operation Moshtarak, which is taking place in the south of Helmand.

The soldiers' deaths bring to 275 the number of British forces personnel or MOD civilians who have died while serving in Afghanistan since the start of operations in October 2001. There have been 26 UK service personnel killed in Musa Qala since forces were deployed there in 2006.

    Two British soldiers killed in Afghanistan explosion, G, 17.3.2010, http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/mar/17/british-soldiers-killed-afghanistan-explosion

Regiment suffers third death in Afghanistan in five days

Serviceman killed by explosion during foot patrol in Helman is 3 Rifles' second fatality in Afghanistan in past few days

Saturday 6 March 2010
20.52 GMT
Guardian.co.uk
Jamie Doward
This article was published on guardian.co.uk at 20.52 GMT on Saturday 6 March 2010.
A version appeared on p9 of the Main section section of the Observer on Sunday 7 March 2010.
It was last modified at 09.06 GMT on Sunday 7 March 2010.

A British soldier was shot and killed in a battle with insurgents near Sangin in Helmand province on Saturday. The death comes a day after another member of the same regiment died from wounds sustained in an explosion in southern Afghanistan while on foot patrol in the same region, the Ministry of Defence said. Next of kin have been informed in both cases. Neither incident was linked to the Moshtarak operation, the Nato offensive to clear the Taliban from southern Afghanistan. They are the second and third deaths in 3rd Battalion The Rifles in five days.

"It is my sad duty to inform you that a British soldier from 3 Rifles died as a result of an explosion in Sangin, northern Helmand," said Lieutenant-Colonel David Wakefield, spokesman for Task Force Helmand. "He was on a foot patrol to the south-west of Patrol Base Blenheim when he was struck by an explosion. He died in the course of his duty and among his comrades."

Wakefield added: "He died protecting the people of Sangin. He will be sorely missed and we will remember him."

The latest deaths take the number of British casualties since fighting began in Afghanistan in 2001 to 270. On Tuesday, Corporal Richard Green, 23, from Reading, was shot dead while at a checkpoint near Sangin. On Friday, his mother, Eileen, paid tribute to her son, describing him as "a bright, strong, inspiring young man". She added: "They [soldiers] deserve respect for what they've done. They've lost their life for Queen and country."

General Sir David Richards, chief of the general staff, said last month that Britain would be "militarily engaged" in Afghanistan for a further five years, but that he expected the conflict to "trail off in 2011".

    Regiment suffers third death in Afghanistan in five days, G, 6.3.2010, http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/mar/06/british-solider-dies-sangin-blast

British soldier killed on foot patrol in Afghanistan

Sunday 14 February 2010
19.20 GMT
Guardian.co.uk
Aidan Jones
This article was published on guardian.co.uk at 19.20 GMT on Sunday 14 February 2010.
It was last modified at 19.59 GMT on Sunday 14 February 2010.

A British soldier has been killed after being caught in an explosion as he carried out a foot patrol in Afghanistan.

The soldier died when the blast happened near Forward Operating Base Inkerman, north-east of Sangin, in Helmand province.

His death – the 259th of the campaign in Afghanistan – was not connected to Operation Moshtarak, which is targeting Taliban strongholds in the south of the volatile province.

The soldier was serving with 6 Rifles as part of the 3 Rifles Battle Group, which has been deployed in the region since last October. His next of kin have been informed, the Ministry of Defence said.

Lieutenant Colonel David Wakefied, the spokesman for Task Force Helmand, said: "It is my sad duty to inform you that a British soldier from the 6 Rifles, serving as part of 3 Rifles Battle Group, was killed by an explosion earlier today near Sangin.

"He was part of a foot patrol operating near Forward Operating Base Inkerman. His boldness and commitment in the face of danger, day on day, will not be forgotten."

Infantry from 3 Rifles have faced serious casualties since they deployed to the region last year.

    British soldier killed on foot patrol in Afghanistan, G, 14.2.2010, http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/feb/14/british-soldier-killed-afghanistan-helmand

Briton among two killed in huge push in Afghanistan

Two allied fighters die in Operation Mushtarak as troops close on Helmand town

Saturday 13 February 2010
15.49 GMT
Guardian.co.uk
Jason Burke, South Asia correspondent, in Delhi and agencies
This article was published on guardian.co.uk at 15.49 GMT on Saturday 13 February 2010.
It was last modified at 18.49 GMT on Saturday 13 February 2010.

A British soldier and a US marine have been killed during the launch of the biggest operation against the Taliban in Afghanistan since the war of 2001.

Hundreds of US marines and British soldiers earlier reported successes against light resistance as they advanced into a key Taliban-held town in southern Afghanistan in Operation Mushtarak – meaning "together" in the local Dari dialect.

Comrades said the British soldier, the 258th to die in Afghanistan, was from 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards. He was killed by an explosion while in a vehicle patrol. A US official confirmed one US Marine was killed in small arms fire. Between five and 20 Taliban fighters were reported killed and eight captured since the offensive began.

The operation began with a fleet of 60 US helicopters firing missiles at defensive positions around the town of Marjah in Helmand province before troops advanced on the town from two directions. American marines were reported to be moving towards the town centre while British forces took up positions to the north.

Lieutenant Colonel David Wakefield, spokesman for Task Force Helmand, said: "A British soldier has made the ultimate sacrifice doing his duty as part of this operation to clear the insurgents away from the people of Nad-e-Ali; his selfless commitment and courage will not be forgotten."

Downing Street said the prime minister's thoughts were with the family of the dead soldier.

Major General Nick Carter, commander of Nato forces in southern Afghanistan, said Afghan and coalition troops had made a "successful insertion" into Marjah.

Around 4,500 US marines, 1,500 Afghan troops and 300 US soldiers are taking part in the offensive on the town, which is surrounded by a treacherous network of canals and heavily mined fields and roads. Over a thousand British troops have also been committed, largely in the district of Nawd Ali to Marjah's north with another 3,000 held in reserve.

In Kabul, 360 miles to the north of the fighting, defense minister Rahim Wardak told reporters most of the resistance was centered around the town's market.

The operation, the first since President Barack Obama ordered 35,000 extra troops to Afghanistan in December, signals the start of what might be a final bid to impose government authority on areas currently under insurgent control.

Obama imposed a 2011 deadline for the pullout of US troops and the success of the battle is as likely to be measured by the degree to which its outcome bolsters waning support for the war in the US and Europe as by casualties inflicted on the Taliban or by the number of communities brought under the control of the administration of President Hamid Karzai.

Though the Taliban have defiantly sworn to resist the offensive and continued to insist they were in full control of Marjah, analysts believe it is unlikely that they will risk a full confrontation with the overwhelming conventional firepower of the coalition forces.

Reporters embedded with the troops reported sporadic but intense exchanges of fire with Taliban fighters once the ground offensive began. Progress has been careful. A bridge over a canal into the town was so heavily mined and booby-trapped that US Marines built substitutes alongside it.

Lance Corporal Ivan Meza, 19, was the first to cross one. "I did get an adrenaline rush, and that bridge is wobbly," Meza, a Marine combat engineer from Pismo Beach, California told Reuters news agency.

According to Abdul Kader, a 44-year-old shopkeeper, seven or eight Taliban fighters who had been holding the position where the Marines crossed over fled during the night. "They left with their motorcycles and their guns. They went deeper into town," Kader said as Marines and Afghan troops searched a poppy field next to his house for mines.

Sensitive to Afghan criticisms of civilian casualties, Nato commanders gave widespread warning of their intentions to ensure villagers have time to flee. But critics said the strategy would have allowed the Taliban to prepare for the attack, which could lead to higher coalition casualties.

The question of whether the Taliban will stay and fight relates to broader strategic issues in the war. Though Marjah is astride key routes for the transport reinforcements and supplies for the Taliban as well as for the smuggling of drugs by groups increasingly closely aligned with the insurgents in Helmand province its importance is more as a test case for the new American-led effort in Afghanistan.

Coalition commanders stress that their intention is not to leave the areas that have been cleared during the fighting – Marjah has been captured once before but was abandoned – but to establish a durable presence to allowing reconstruction, development and the establishment of strong local government structures to go ahead and to prevent reprisals.

Despite the huge attention deliberately focused on Marjah in recent days by the coalition and governments, the town remains just a tiny piece in a much bigger jigsaw in the province, country and region. Though much of the violence in Afghanistan is concentrated in the two southern provinces of Helmand and Kandahar, a much broader swath of territory is under informal control of the insurgents.

Although many military operations meet their immediate objectives, the Taliban continue to be able to exploit the Afghan government's lack of political legitimacy and to convincingly pose as defenders of the Afghan nation against foreigners, of the Islamic faith against unbelievers and of the Pashtun rural conservative tribes of the country against their ethnic and often urban rivals.

Furthermore recent initiatives aimed at "reconciling" low-level Taliban are unlikely to succeed in ending the insurgency while senior insurgent commanders continue to be convinced that they are winning and while their mix of ideological appeal and coercion still works.

There is the regional picture to consider. Strenuous efforts are being made by a variety of actors to convince the Pakistani security establishment to end its support for some elements within the insurgents but so far with little success. The eventual outcome of Operation Mushtarak is likely be decided far from its booby-trapped canals.

    Briton among two killed in huge push in Afghanistan, G, 13.2.2010, http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/feb/13/operation-mushtarak-helmand-taliban

Two British soldiers killed in AfghanistanThe soldiers, from 3rd Battalion

The Yorkshire regiment, died from two blasts while on foot patrol near Malgir, in Helmand province, the MoD has said

James Sturcke
Guardian.co.uk
Monday 1 February 2010
18.37 GMT
This article was published on guardian.co.uk at 18.37 GMT on Monday 1 February 2010.
It was last modified at 18.38 GMT on Monday 1 February 2010.

Two British soldiers serving in Afghanistan were killed this morning by improvised bombs, the Ministry of Defence said tonight.

The soldiers, from 3rd Battalion The Yorkshire regiment, died from two blasts while on foot patrol near Malgir, in Helmand province.

Their deaths bring the number of British fatalities in Afghanistan to 253 – two short of the number who died during the Falklands War in 1982.

"It is with deep sadness I must inform you that IEDs claimed the lives of two British soldiers this morning in the Malgir area of Central Helmand, an area between Babaji and Gereshk," said Lieutenant Colonel David Wakefield, spokesman for Task Force Helmand.

"The soldiers were on a foot patrol when the explosions happened. Two of our comrades, taken from us in the course of their duty, whose resolute bravery and sacrifice we will remember."

The two were serving as part of the 1 Coldstream Guards Battle Group.

Next of kin have been informed and have asked for a 24 hour period of grace before further details are released.

The death toll nears the grim landmark amid recent warnings there will be "many more" casualties in Afghanistan in 2010.

Nato's civilian representative in the country, Mark Sedwill, warned of an "awful lot of violence" to come as the coalition's military and political strategy is beefed up.

He said soldiers would be needed in a war-fighting role for up to five more years and could be training Afghan forces for "a decade or more".

Gordon Brown has set a deadline of the middle of next year for "turning the tide" against the Taliban.

    Two British soldiers killed in AfghanistanThe soldiers, from 3rd Battalion, NYT, G, 1.2.2010, http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/feb/01/two-british-soldiers-killed-afghanistan