FRI PM: Yorkshire Regiment soldier killed in Afghanistan
A SOLDIER from The Yorkshire Regiment has been killed in Afghanistan.
The soldier, one of two killed as the Afghan people went to the polls, was part of reinforcements sent to the country three weeks ago to boost numbers after a wave of casualties.
Defence chiefs sent 125 extra soldiers at the end of last month to maintain troop levels after a record number of injuries and deaths in July.
The soldier, from the 3rd Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment - formerly the Duke of Wellingtons, is understood to be the first of the extra service personel to be killed.
The two soldiers, the second of whom was a member of the 2nd Battalion The Rifles, were on a patrol unconnected to election security when they were killed yesterday, officials announced today
Their next of kin have been informed.
The deaths bring to 206 the number of UK troops killed in the country since the conflict began.
Lieutenant Colonel Nick Richardson said: "It is with deep regret that we report the death of two soldiers in Helmand Province. Our deepest heartfelt thoughts and sympathies go out to the bereaved family, friends and comrades of these brave soldiers."
Earlier Foreign Secretary David Miliband hailed the "enormous bravery" of the Afghan people who defied Taliban threats and voted in the election.
Yesterday’s landmark elections to select a new President were marred by a series of attacks but violence was not as intense as some had feared.
Before news of the deaths was announced, Mr Miliband said that he had been "braced for the worst" but "the worst did not happen".
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: "I think we were all braced for the worst after the very difficult six weeks in the run-up to the election.
"The worst did not happen yesterday but we don’t yet know how good it was in terms of the ability of Afghans to come out and vote.
"We know that millions did and that millions... have testified to enormous bravery in coming out to vote, but we don’t yet know the scale of the turnout."
Share
