Britain loses 100th soldier in Afghanistan
Prime Minister Gordon Brown insisted yesterday that deaths of British soldiers in Afghanistan were not in vain, after Britain lost its 100th soldier there since 2001.
Defence Secretary Des Browne hailed the struggle in Afghanistan as a "noble cause," after a suicide attack in southern Helmand province killed three soldiers Sunday just outside their base.
Britain has about 7,800 soldiers in Afghanistan, most of whom are in Helmand, where the Taliban has been waging a bloody insurgency since being ousted from power after the US-led invasion in late 2001.
"I want to pay tribute to the courage of all the 100 British troops who have given their lives in Afghanistan in the service of their country," he said in a statement," Brown said in a statement.
"They have paid the ultimate price, but they have achieved something of lasting value -- helping turn a lawless region sheltering terrorists into an emerging democracy."
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