Brown hails 'sacrifice' ahead of Afghan offensive
Updated on 09 February 2010
Prime Minister Gordon Brown hails the "service and sacrifice" of British troops as they prepare to join US and Afghan forces in a major offensive in Afghanistan against the Taliban.
The biggest surge of the Afghan war so far, Operation Moshtarak, is aimed at driving out the Taliban from the key stronghold of Marjah in Helmand Province.
The town is the biggest Taliban controlled place in southern Afghanistan.
30,000 international troops are expected to join 10,000 Afghan forces in the heavily-trailed operation so the civilian population have the opportunity to leave the area.
It is not clear yet what exactly role British troops will play in Operation Moshtarak, which means 'together' in the dari language.
In a speech in London, Gordon Brown paid tribute to British forces: "their professionalism, their dedication, their expertise, their service and their sacrifice".
But defence secretary Bob Ainsworth warned of a "very real risk" that there will be British casualties.
Mr Ainsworth said today denied claims that the Taliban are supported by local Afghans.
"The ordinary Afghan people, whether they are women or men, so not support the Taliban, do not want to see a return of the Taliban government - but, yes they want to see improved government tin Afghanistan."
Soldiers named
Two more British soldiers killed in Afghan were tonight named as Corporal
John Moore, 22, and Private Sean McDonald, 26.
The members of the Royal Scots Borderers, 1st Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland, were killed by an explosion in Sangin on Sunday.
Mr Ainsworth paid tribute to the pair as "professional, courageous, selfless, and committed - true infantry soldiers".
A soldier from 36 Engineer Regiment, part of the counter-IED Task Force, died
yesterday, taking the total of British servicemen and women killed since
operations in Afghanistan began to 256.
