U.K. Considering Doubling The Number Of Troops Deployed To Afghanistan

The Guardian: UK may double troops in Afghanistan after Donald Trump request

US asks for reinforcements after Taliban resurgence

The UK government is considering doubling the number of troops deployed in Afghanistan in response to a request from Donald Trump for reinforcements in the face of increasing gains by the Taliban.

Britain has about 600 troops in Afghanistan at present, mainly based in Kabul training officers and not engaged in combat. There is also a small contingent of special forces.

The new deployment could see hundreds more return to Afghanistan. The UK withdrew almost all of its combat troops from the country in 2014.

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WNU Editor: Can anyone say "mission creep". Here is the current list on the number of soldiers from different countries in Afghanistan .... How Many Troops Are Currently In Afghanistan? (Forces Network).

More News On Reports That The U.K. Is Considering Doubling The Number Of Troops Deployed To Afghanistan

Britain could double its military presence in Afghanistan and send an extra 400 troops after mounting pressure from Donald Trump -- Daily Mail
Afghanistan: UK considers sending more troops -- BBC
UK troop numbers in Afghanistan could rise following Trump pressure -- The Independent
UK to follow Trump and send more British troops to Afghanistan as Taliban attacks increase -- RT
Britain reportedly considering 'doubling number of troops in Afghanistan' following pressure from Donald Trump -- Yahoo News

The Story On How 88 British Soldiers Who Spent 56 Days Holding Off 500 Taliban Fighters

Hugh Keir, left, and Jared Cleary, right, were two of the Easy Company snipers under constant attack for two months at the remote Helmand outpost Musa Qala

Daily Mail: Miracle escape of the new Rorke's Drift Paras: Cut-off, surrounded and outnumbered - the incredible untold story of the 88 British soldiers who spent 56 days holding off 500 Taliban fighters... and survived

* The 88 men of Easy Company held out against Taliban for two months
* They defended Helmand outpost Musa Qala against 500 enemy troops
* Ministry of Defence previously banned details of conflict being revealed
* Channel 4 documentary will shed new light using the soldiers' stories

Outgunned, outmanoeuvred, hopelessly outnumbered and besieged in the Afghan desert, a small band of British soldiers chose to save a final bullet for themselves rather than fall into Taliban hands.

For nearly two months, the 88 men of Easy Company – a mix of Paratroopers and the Royal Irish – had faced the overwhelming force and firepower of up to 500 Taliban determined to over-run the remote Helmand outpost of Musa Qala.

And their near miraculous survival has been described as a latter day Rorke’s Drift, evocative of the 1879 siege in which 140 British soldiers held off a Zulu force of 3,000, later immortalised in the blockbuster film starring Michael Caine.

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WNU Editor: This battle occurred in 2006. If it was bad then and the Taliban were able to muster 500 fighters for the seige, I can only imagine how bad it is today.

With The Afghan Province of Helmand On The Verge Of Falling To The Taliban, U.K. Soldiers Have Been Deployed To Stop Their Advance

The Independent: Afghanistan war: British troops return to Helmand province in 'advisory role' as Taliban advance continues

They are being sent to a camp to advice Afghan forces still fighting the insurgency

British troops are being sent back into Afghanistan’s Helmand province little over a year after David Cameron hailed the end of the 13-year intervention.

Soldiers are being mobilised to help Nato and Afghan forces as the Taliban continue to advance, overrunning the key town of Sangin.

The Ministry of Defence (Mod) emphasised that British troops would not be going into combat and would be providing only an “advisory role” from within a military base.

More News On U.K. Forces Being Deployed To Helmand Province, Afghanistan

Afghanistan Taliban: British military deployed to Helmand -- BBC
Besieged Afghan forces in Sangin receive airdrops as UK sends troops -- The Guardian
British Troops Deploy to Afghan Province Amid Taliban Battle -- NYT
British troops sent to help Afghan forces tackle Taliban advance -- Belfast Telegraph
Sangin: who is in control? -- Euronews
Afghanistan highlights a history of chaotic western intervention -- Simon Tisdall, The Guardian
British military deployed to Afghanistan: Why Sangin matters -- The Telegraph

U.K. Forces To Remain In Afghanistan Until 2016

ITV News

The Guardian: UK to keep 450 troops stationed in Afghanistan through 2016

Michael Fallon says soldiers – part of support mission left behind after combat withdrawal – will remain for another year amid escalating Taliban attacks.

The 450 troops Britain has stationed in Afghanistan are to remain for another year amid deteriorating security in the country.

David Cameron withdrew all combat troops in 2014 after 13 years of fighting the Taliban, but the support mission stayed on to train domestic forces. In a statement to parliament, Michael Fallon, the defence secretary, confirmed the troops would remain throughout 2016.

It comes after President Barack Obama delayed the departure of the US from Afghanistan, saying a force of 5,500 would stay beyond the end of his term of office in 2017.

More News On Reports That 450 British Soldiers Will Remain In Afghanistan Until 2016

UK to extend Afghanistan troops' stay, says Fallon -- BBC
Britain postpones Afghanistan troop withdrawal as security falters -- The Telegraph
Britain to keep 450 troops in Afghanistan through 2016 -- AP
Britain says to maintain military presence in Afghanistan in 2016 -- Reuters
UK to maintain Afghanistan military presence through 2016 -- CNN
U.K. to Maintain Troops in Afghanistan Throughout 2016 -- WSJ
Britain Expects to Maintain Military Presence in Afghanistan in 2016 -- VOA
UK troops to stay in Afghanistan -- RT
Britain extends its military presence in Afghanistan through 2016 -- Deutsche Welle

U.K. Special Forces Kill 200 Taliban Fighters In the Battle For Kunduz

Daily Mail: UK special forces kill 200 Taliban insurgents during close quarters battle in Northern Afghanistan

* Commandos from the Special Boat Squadron are operating in Kunduz
* It is the largest action by British troops in Afghanistan for twelve months
* The battle to remove the Taliban from Kunduz was still ongoing last night
* During the fighting, US aircraft are believed to have bombed a hospital

British Special Forces have been involved in a series of close-quarter battles against the Taliban in northern Afghanistan, killing up to 200 insurgents.

The Mail on Sunday has received eyewitness accounts of commandos from the Special Boat Service (SBS) directing the assault on Taliban positions in the city of Kunduz and at a nearby air base.

The fighting was continuing last night.

WNU Editor: If they are calling in air strikes .... I can then understand this number. But if this is "close quarters battle".... 200 enemy killed, no British casualties .... I am sceptical.

Was The British Military Effort In Afghansitan Worth It?

Wing Commander Matt Radnall, Officer Commanding 7 Force Protection Wing, as the very last British troops leave Camp Bastion, Helmand province. Daily Mail

Did UK Intervention In Afghanistan Have Any Value? -- John Simpson, BBC News

As the union jack came down at Camp Bastion in Helmand Province on the UK's 13-year involvement in Afghanistan, there was an unusual amount of introspection in Britain itself.

Was there any real cause for pride? Or had the death of 453 British service personnel been in vain? Had there, indeed, been any value whatever in the British intervention?

The great majority of the ordinary Afghans I have spoken to about this over the years have no doubt about it: the British had helped to shore up this country and make it more stable and prosperous.

'Now,' said a man I came across in the north of Kabul, 'the future is very good, with elections and everything. Before there was nothing like this place here, this road.'

He pointed to the new buildings which had sprung up all round us, and to the well-surfaced road which hadn't even existed before.

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Update: The deaths of 453 brave British servicemen and women in Afghanistan have NOT been in vain, says Defence Secretary Micahel Fallon -- Michael Fallon, Daily Mail

My Comment: The majority in Britain view the Afghan campaign as a Futile exercise .... 68 percent of Brits say Afghan war was futile – poll (RT). What's my take .... I am not optimistic on the future .... even with the billions in aid that the U.S. is still promising.

Last British Soldiers And U.S. Marines Withdraw From The Taliban Stronghold In Helmand Province, Afghanistan

U.S. Marines, British Troops End Mission In Restive Afghan Province -- Washington Post

KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan — U.S. Marines and British forces pulled out of Afghanistan’s Helmand province Monday, ending their engagement in a 13-year-old war that tested both militaries' ability to fight in a landlocked nation.

In a secret 20-hour pullout from one of coalition’s largest bases in Afghanistan, the last of the 873 Marines and 350 British soldiers arrived in Kandahar from Helmand. The southwestern province has been the site of some of the war’s bloodiest combat, but large areas remain under the control of Taliban insurgents.

The withdrawal also marks another step in the wider disengagement of NATO-led forces in Afghanistan.

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More News On The Withdrawal Of British And U.S. Marines forces From The Taliban Stronghold In Helmand Province, Afghanistan

Marines, Brits Turn Over Helmand Bases to Afghan Forces -- US Department of Defense
Last international forces airlifted from key base in Afghanistan -- Reuters
Last foreign combat troops leave Afghanistan's Helmand -- USA Today
UK troops fly out of Camp Bastion -- Daily Mail/Press Association
UK ends Afghan combat operations -- BBC
Last British soldiers leave Camp Bastion as war in Afghanistan ends -- The Telegraph
UK ends Afghan combat mission -- IHS Jane's 360
Last British soldiers leave Afghanistan: 'It's just a relief to be getting out of there' -- The Independent
Last of U.S. Marines Leave Afghanistan’s Helmand Province -- WSJ
Marines hand over largest base in Afghanistan, prepare to pull out -- Guns.com
Photos: Allied troops withdraw from key base in Helmand, Afghanistan -- Al Jazeera
Why the end of Camp Leatherneck in Afghanistan matters -- Dan Lamonth, Washington Post

Striking Photographs Of British Troops' Serving Their Last Days Of Service In Afghanistan's Camp Bastion (Photo Gallery)

Photo from Channel 4 news

Checking Out Of Little Heathrow: Striking Images Capture British Troops' Last Days Of Service In Afghanistan's Camp Bastion -- Daily Mail

* Soldiers have been serving in Afghanistan since 2001 following a US-led attack on country after 9/11
* More than 400 British servicemen and woman from the army, RAF and Marines have died while there
* Final preparations are being made for the troops to come home after more than a decade on the front line

More than a decade after being sent to the war zone, the last British troops serving in Afghanistan are finally preparing to come home.

Thirteen years after arriving in Helmand Province, the remaining servicemen and women have begun packing up military equipment ahead of their long-awaited return.

In thanks for their service, a collection of stunning images documenting their final days at Camp Bastion has been shared across the UK.

Among the images taken by acclaimed photographer Robert Wilson are portraits of the soldiers and landscapes of their living quarters.

Rounds of artillery and weapon storage units are also depicted in the collection which offers astonishing insight into the realities of being at war.

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My Comment: An incredible collection of photographs. Check it out.

British Forces Pull-Out From Their Last Front-line Base In Afghanistan

Afghanistan: British Troops Close Last Operating Base in Helmand Province -- IBTimes

Defence Secretary Philip Hammond: 'This is another important step towards ending combat operations in Afghanistan'

Observation Post Sterga was one of more than 130 such bases designed to provide a safe location for soldiers or airmen, away from the main operating bases, like Camp Bastion.

Sterga opened in August 2013 to allow UK personnel to observe a large and strategically important area of central Helmand.

Defence Secretary Philip Hammond, who was in Helmand Province to witness the closure of the base, said: "This is another important step towards ending combat operations in Afghanistan.

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More News On British Forces Pulling-Out From Their Last Front-line Base In Afghanistan

British forces leave their last outpost in Helmand -- BBC
Army pulls out of its last frontline base in Helmand, leaving Camp Bastion as the only UK-controlled facility in Afghanistan -- Daily Mail
Afghanistan: British troops leave Helmand outpost -- BBC
Britain closes last remaining forward base in Afghanistan -- ITV

UK Ministry Of Defense Probing Photos Of Soldier Posing With Dead Taliban Fighter

One of the photographs appearing to show an RAF serviceman next to the corpse of a Taliban insurgent Photo: LIVELEAK.COM

Pictures Appear To Show RAF Man Posing With Dead Taliban Fighter -- BBC

Photographs have emerged which appear to show at least one UK serviceman posing with a dead Taliban fighter.

The graphic pictures were taken in the aftermath of an attack by insurgents on Camp Bastion, the main British base in Afghanistan, in 2012.

The images first appeared on website Live Leak. The Ministry of Defence said they came to its attention last month and military police were investigating.

Two RAF Regiment members have already been withdrawn from frontline duties.

Two US marines were killed in the September 2012 attack on Camp Bastion, in Helmand province.

A number of British soldiers were injured and six US Harrier jets were destroyed.

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More News On The UK Ministry Of Defense Probing Photos Of A Soldier Posing With Dead Taliban Fighter

British servicemen 'pose with dead Taliban fighter' -- The Telegraph
UK Soldier 'Posed With Dead Taliban Fighter' -- SKY News
Photos Emerge of RAF Serviceman Posing 'Thumbs-up' with Dead Taliban Fighter in Afghanistan -- IBTimes
RAF serviceman 'posed with Taliban body' -- ITV News
UK probing photos of soldier posing with insurgent -- Washington Post/AP
British Serviceman Pictured Appearing To Give 'Thumbs-Up' Over Dead Taliban Fighter (PICTURES) -- Huffington Post

With A Handshake Britain Ends It's Combat Role In Afghanistan

Helmand Handover: After 13 Years And 450 Deaths, Britain's Leading Combat Role In Afghanistan Ends With A Handshake -- Daily Mail

* UK Brigadier James Woodham shook hands with US officer
* It marked the end of operations for Task Force Helmand
* Five thousand UK troops will remain in the war zone for time being
* But they are under U.S. command and will be pulled out in December

With a handshake and a smile, Britain's leading combat role in Afghanistan ended yesterday.

The headquarters of Task Force Helmand ceased operations after 13 years of bloody fighting and the loss of nearly 450 lives.

Five thousand UK troops will remain in the war zone – but only until December and under US command.

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More News On Britain Ending It's Combat Role In Afghanistan

British Armed Forces complete handover of Helmand Province after eight years and 448 lost lives -- The Telegraph
British troops leave Helmand in further move towards total Afghanistan withdrawal -- The Independent
After 13 years and 448 deaths, Britain confirms the last troop deployment to Afghanistan -- Express
Britain hands over command of Afghanistan's Helmand province -- BBC
The Helmand handover in numbers: 8 years and 448 deaths later, the army is leaving -- The Independent
Afghanistan War: British Troops Leave Helmand to Make Way for Local Soldiers -- IBTimes
Closure of UK's Afghan base is step towards withdrawal -- ITV
British Armed Forces in Helmand Province: timeline -- The Telegraph

U.K. Royal Marine Is Convicted Of Murder Of Taliban Insurgent

Royal Marine Is Convicted Of Murder Of Taliban Insurgent Who Was Shot In The Chest At Close Range - But Two Comrades Are CLEARED -- Daily Mail

* Marine A found guilty of murder after the execution in September 2011 was captured on a helmet camera
* Two other marines known as B and C were acquitted today at court martial
* Audio recording reveals gunshot and sound of Afghan man moaning
* Marine A heard saying: 'There you are. It's nothing you wouldn't do to us'
* 'This doesn't go anywhere. I just broke the Geneva Convention,' he added

A Royal Marine has been convicted of murder following the execution of a seriously injured Afghan insurgent in September 2011.

A court martial board found the commando, known only as Marine A, guilty of murdering the man in Helmand Province more than two years ago.

Two others, known as Marines B and C, were acquitted. Marine A will be sentenced on December 6.

The marines denied murdering the unknown captured Afghan national on or about September 15 2011, contrary to Section 42 of the Armed Forces Act 2006.

But a seven-strong board, consisting of officers and non-commissioned officers, convicted one of the defendants following a two-week trial at the court martial centre in Bulford, Wiltshire.

Scroll down for audio

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More News On The U.K. Royal Marine Beings Convicted Of Murdering A Taliban Insurgent

Marine guilty of Afghanistan murder -- BBC
British marine guilty of murdering Afghan captive -- AFP
Audio recording of murder in Afghanistan -- BBC
Video of marine shooting insurgent suppressed to protect defendants -- The Guardian
Marine court martial hinged on video of disturbing scenes from Afghan war -- The Guardian
Royal Marine faces life in jail for captive execution -- The Telegraph
UK marine convicted of murder of Afghan in Helmand; Royal Marines call it ‘aberration -- Washington Post/AP
In profile: the Royal Marines charged with murdering Afghan insurgent -- The Guardian
From a bloody corner of Helmand to a British court martial -- Steven Morris, The Guardian
Marines murder trial highlights battlefield rules -- Caroline Wyatt, The Guardian
Has Afghan murder case damaged reputation of Royal Marines? -- Gerry Holt BBC News
What made some British troops lose self-control in Afghanistan? -- Richard Norton Taylor, The Guardian

British Military Court Martial Hears How The Taliban Hung The Limbs Of Soldiers On Trees

A British soldier patrols in Helmand province. Photograph: Omar Sobhani/Reuters

Taliban Hung The Limbs Of Our Friends From Trees, Says Marine Accused Of Killing Captive -- Daily Mail

* Court martial hears tensions had been building before killing
* Insurgents had paraded body parts of Marines blown up by IEDs
* Commando admits he was ashamed of shooting captured enemy
* Experienced sergeant insisted he believed gunman was already dead

Three Royal Marines accused of executing a wounded prisoner in Afghanistan had been sickened by the Taliban hanging limbs of maimed comrades in trees as trophies, a court martial heard.

Tensions had built up before the killing after insurgents paraded the body parts of close colleagues blown up by improvised explosive devices.

The gruesome detail emerged as one of the commandos admitted he was ashamed of shooting the captured enemy in the chest at point-blank range with a 9mm pistol.

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My Comment: War is ugly .... and this British court martial proceedings is revealing much of it.

British Troops Conduct Secret Mission In Helmand To Kill And Capture Taliban Insurgents

British Troops Kill And Capture Taliban Insurgents In Secret Mission To Support Afghan National Army -- Daily Mail

* About 80 British soldiers travelled to Sangin to fight Taliban insurgents
* Joined by the Afghan National Army, they detained a number of fighters
* The mission was kept secret until after it was completed earlier this week
* More than 30 improvised explosive devices were found and destroyed and two vehicles were seized along with ammunition and weapons

British troops have carried out a major operation in an area of Afghanistan which has seen some of the fiercest battles of the war, the Ministry of Defence has said.

About 80 British soldiers travelled to Sangin to fight Taliban insurgents with the Afghan National Army (ANA), just months before it takes full control of security in the country.

The latest mission, which was kept secret until after it was completed earlier this week, required the special permission of defence secretary Philip Hammond because of a government push to transfer combat operations to the ANA, The Sunday Times reported.

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More News On British Conducting A Secret Mission In Helmand To Kill And Capture Taliban Insurgents

British soldiers return to Sangin to tackle Taliban -- BBC
UK confirms British troops returned to Afghanistan's Sangin district for 8-day operation -- FOX News/AP
British soldiers carry out 'out-of-area' operation in Afghanistan -- UPI
SAS crack team kill 30 Taliban in night-time desert firefight -- Mirror
British troops fight Taliban in secret battle -- Express
British troops conducted secret mission in Helmand to tackle Taliban -- Khaama Press

Did British Police Supply Target Information For A Military 'Kill List' In Afghanistan

UK Police Accused Of Supplying Target Information For Military 'Kill List' -- The Guardian

Court case – launched following mistaken identity in Afghan attack – to hear claim that Soca helped to compile list for Nato.

British police have been accused of illegally supplying information on potential targets for a highly controversial military "kill list" in a legal challenge being launched at the high court on Wednesday.

The role of the UK's Serious and Organised Crime Agency (Soca) has been put under the spotlight by the claims, which are set out in papers to be filed on Wednesday morning.

Lawyers acting for an Afghan man who lost five members of his family in a missile strike are demanding a judicial review of Soca's role, saying there is evidence the agency has been helping compile and review Nato's Joint Prioritised Effects List (JPEL).

They say this breaches Soca's remit and exceeds the unit's statutory mandate and powers.

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My Comment: If these allegations are true .... it would not only imply that senior British officials are involved in the assassination of British subjects abroad by providing all of the necessary targeting information for someone else (in this case a NATO strike force in Afghanistan) to commit the act of killing the target .... but it would also raise questions on what other intel and information is being used and traded among NATO states in a war-zone like Afghanistan.

British PM Cameron And The Military Differ On When To Leave Afghanistan

Troops could stay three to five years longer than previously announced, the official said (file photo)

Our Troops Could Be In Afghanistan Until 2019: Astonishing Revelation From A Senior Military Source As Cameron Pays A Surprise Visit To British Forces -- Daily Mail

* Senior official says soldiers will be needed for extra three to five years
* Prime Minister visited frontline troops to mark British Armed Forces Day
* He has announced plans for a permanent Afghan war memorial in the UK
* UK plans to end combat operations in the country in December 2014
* Taliban prisoners to be released into the Afghan military under peace deal
* Cameron later flew on to Islamabad for talks with the Pakistani President

British soldiers will be in Afghanistan until the end of the decade – five years later than expected, a senior military source said last night.

Troops had been widely expected to withdraw at the conclusion of combat operations next year.

But as David Cameron paid a surprise visit to the country yesterday, the source warned that it would take ‘a further three to five years’ after 2014 to help the Afghans regain control of their country.

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Update #1: Britain will have to support Afghan National Army 'long after' 2014 -- The Telegraph
Update #2: Afghan Army May Need NATO Support Until 2020, U.K. Official Says -- Bloomberg Businessweek

My Comment: British PM Cameron is still sticking to his pull-out date.

British PM Cameron Visits Afghanistan - A News Roundup

David Cameron And Army Divided Over Afghanistan Role After 2014 -- The Guardian

Despite military's fears, prime minister stands firm on security arrangements after British leave

Military commanders are pressing for international forces to be allowed to provide extensive logistical advice to Afghanistan until 2020, after concluding that local security forces will be unprepared for full operations when the Nato mission ends next year.

In a sign of tensions between Downing Street and the military, the prime minister used a visit to Afghanistan to rule out any British involvement in such a role after Nato concludes its combat operations at the end of 2014.

Speaking at a press conference in Kabul with the Afghan president, Hamid Karzai, David Cameron hailed the work of Afghan security forces, though he left open the possibility that other Nato countries could provide logistical support after 2014. He said: "There will be no British combat troops after the end of 2014. British troops are coming home. That is happening right now.

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More News On British PM Cameron's Trip Afghanistan

Britain's Cameron Visits Afghanistan to Spur Taliban Peace Talks -- Voice of America
British PM backs Taliban peace talks on Afghan visit -- FOX News/AFP
Britain's Cameron in thwarted Afghan peace talks push -- Reuters
David Cameron flies into Afghanistan as army warns British troops will stay to support Afghan forces for up to five years -- The Independent
UK PM makes unannounced Afghan visit -- Herald SUN
Cam pledges extra support for troops on Armed Forces Day -- The SUN
Cameron arrives in Pakistan after visiting Afghanistan -- CNN

Is Britain War-Weary And Suffering From 'Vietnam Phenomenon'?

Britain Is War-Weary And Suffering From 'Vietnam Phenomenon' After Decade Of Fighting In Middle East Says Defence Secretary -- Daily Mail

* British people weary of role in long wars overseas, Defence Secretary says
* Remarks come as Syria tops the agenda at this week's G8 Summit
* Ministry of Defence still to agree to budget cuts with Chancellor

The British people are weary of becoming involved in another lengthy conflict overseas after more than a decade of fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Defence Secretary said today.

n what will be considered a direct challenge to the Prime Minister and the Chancellor over any possible military deployment in Syria, Phillip Hammond said Afghanistan had become Britain’s Vietnam.

The Defence Secretary's remarks came while on a visit to the main British base at Camp Bastion in the Helmand province of Afghanistan.

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Update #1: Philip Hammond: Afghanistan is like our Vietnam -- The Telegraph
Update #2: Afghanistan is our Vietnam, admits British Defence Secretary -- Sydney Morning Herald

My Comment: For the families and soldiers who serve in Britain's armed forces .... I am sure there is a certain degree of war weariness. As for the everyone else .... I suspect that they are now just tuning out the news.

Six British Soldiers Killed In Afghanistan Are Brought Home

Six Men Went To Serve Their Country. . . Six Coffins Came Back, Yet Life On The Afghanistan Frontline Continues For Their Brave Fellow Soldiers -- Daily Mail

* Six dead servicemen flown into RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire
* 2,000 mourners watched as the Union flag covered coffins left airbase
* Comrades cleared Taliban heartland around Gereshk over weekend

She carried his unborn child, and shed tears for the life they can no longer share.

In a tragic, poignant tribute, Emma Hickman symbolised the devastating human cost yesterday of the war in Afghanistan.

Her fiancé Private Daniel Wade was one of six soldiers blown up in the bloodiest enemy attack of the conflict.

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More News On Six British Soldiers Repatriated From Afghanistan After Being Killed By A Roadside Bomb

Thousands pay respects to British soldiers killed in Afghanistan -- The Guardian
Six British soldiers killed in Afghanistan repatriated -- The Telegraph
Bodies of six soldiers killed in Afghanistan brought home -- BBC
Bodies of six British soldiers repatriated -- BBC (Video)
Bodies of six British soldiers return from Afghanistan -- AFP
Afghanistan: Bodies of British soldiers killed in bomb attack flown home -- Scotsman
Thousands pay respects as soldiers killed in Afghanistan repatriated -- Metro
Bodies of six soldiers flown home -- British Forces News

British Military Units Serving In Afghanistan Could Have Their Tours Doubled To 12 Months

British Troops 'Could Spend Year In Afghanistan' -- Daily Telegraph

Key UK British military units serving in Afghanistan could see the length of their tours doubled to 12 months, according to Britain’s commander in the Helmand war zone.

Brigadier Ed Davis said the change may be needed to put an end to the “constant churn” of personnel and provide continuity.

The continuing Taliban threat showed the need for deployments longer than the usual six months, especially for British units involved in “mentoring” Afghan forces, said Brigadier Davis, of 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines, who is the commander of Task Force Helmand.

“The constant churn of people with whom you have really strong relationships is hard, so I think you need to reduce that by having people in theatre for longer,” he told the Independent.

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My Comment: One more reason why morale is dropping in the British military.