Two British soldiers killed in Taliban rocket attack

13 April 2012

Two British soldiers have been killed by a Taliban rocket attack in southern Afghanistan, bringing the UK death toll in the country to 50 since military operations began in 2001.

The men, both from 29 Commando Regiment, Royal Artillery, were hit during an attack on a British position near the war-torn town of Sangin in northern Helmand Province on Saturday.

The commander of the UK Task Force in Afghanistan, Brigadier Jerry Thomas, said to lose two men in one incident was a "deeply saddening blow".

It is the first time more than one soldier has been killed in a single Taliban attack since August.

The men were the first to die since it was announced that 1,400 extra troops will be sent as reinforcements to Afghanistan.

They are needed to cope with an expected escalation in fighting during the Spring and Summer, and will take the total of British troops in the country to 7,700.

The force - which will soon be larger than that in southern Iraq - will be equipped with heavy armoured vehicles, powerful rocket launchers and more helicopters and strike jets.

But concerns remain that the deployment is too small to inflict a decisive defeat on the Taliban and drive them out of Helmand and neighbouring Kandahar province.

Hundreds more insurgents are thought to be crossing the undefended border from Pakistan to the south and commanders privately admit their men have come close to defeat at times, with combat units and the supply network stretched to the limit.

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