UK Death Toll Reaches 201 in Afghanistan

The deaths of two more British soldiers in Afghanistan has pushed the death toll to 201. Ten soldiers have been killed during the past month in the run up to August elections.

One soldier from the 2nd Battalion the Royal Welsh died from wounds sustained during a vehicle patrol near Musa Qala in Helmand province on Thursday morning. A second died whilst on foot patrol in Sangin, Helmand province. During Operation Panther's Claw in Helmand province, 22 British soldiers lost their lives in July alone, during some of the most bitter fighting since the start of the eight year war. So far this month a further 10 British soldiers have lost their lives. Paying tribute to those who have lost their lives to BBC News, Prime Minister Gordon Brown went on to say,

it is to make Britain safe and the rest of the world safe that we must make sure we honour our commitment to maintain and keep a stable Afghanistan.

During 2008 the number of British servicemen killed rose sharply with 36 of the 51 deaths arising from bomb blasts. Mark Tran, reporting in the Guardian, cites Ministry of Defence figures showing 230 personnel have suffered life-threatening or serious injuries, with 753 wounded in action. A total of 140 soldiers who have been wounded in action are currently being treated at various specialist centres in the UK. The Prime Minister insists that every effort is being made to supply troops with the best equipment in order to protect them from roadside explosive devices. Defence secretary Bob Ainsworth said Britain mourned the loss of any life in the conflict. He said that although Operation Panther's Claw had been a tough fight it had released 80,000 Afghans from, "the tyranny of the Taliban."