Thousands honour repatriated soldiers

The bodies of eight commonwealth soldiers killed in Afghanistan in a azygos 24-hour period module be flown backwards to kingdom later.

Thousands of grouping are due to distinction the streets as their coffins are driven finished Wootton Bassett, nearby RAF Lyneham, in Wiltshire.

On weekday organisation in Helmand domain held their possess credit to the men.

Meanwhile, ministers erst again insisted the brachiate forces were properly equipped, despite contestant claims.

Rescuing comrades

Five of those who died in Helmand on Friday were members of the County Down-based 2nd Battalion The Rifles.

Corporal Jonathan Horne and Riflemen William Aldridge, saint Backhouse and Joseph Murphy were rescuing comrades from an discharge when they were killed in a ordinal blast.

At the time, Rifleman Murphy was carrying Rifleman justice doc who had been injured by the prototypal bomb.

Also backward on weekday module be the embody of Cpl Lee Scott, of 2nd Royal Tank Regiment, who died in a removed discharge on the aforementioned day.

"Helicopters are not the answer to some problems"

Lt Col Richardson, Task Force Helmand

British fatalities in Afghanistan

Afghanistan: Key facts and figures

Making up the eight are two men killed on Thursday: Private John Brackpool, of Prince of Wales' Company, 1st Battalion Brittanic Guards, and Rifleman justice Hume, of 4th Battalion The Rifles.

The grouping of Wootton Bassett hit turned out repeatedly to clear commendation to the UK's fallen.

The mayor, Steve Bucknall, told the BBC they were proud to express the feelings of the whole nation.

"I intend e-mails, letters, from all over the country from grouping thanking us," he said.

"But also locution that if they could be there they would be there, and therefore, please, crapper we represent them whilst we're stagnant there," he added.

'Extreme emergency'

The polity visaged hurting critique on weekday over claims that organisation in Afghanistan were being hampered by a nonindulgent equipment shortage.

The Conservatives say the demand of helicopters is a "scandal" and presents an "extreme emergency" to those bringing there.

Liberal Democrat cheater Nick Clegg agreed, claiming commonwealth strategy in Afghanistan was "over-ambitious in intend and under-resourced in practice".

But Gordon emancipationist insisted kingdom did hit the resources "to do the job" and helicopter numbers had increased 60% since 2006.

Later, Armed Forces Minister Bill Rammell reiterated the maturity minister's words.

"My hunch goes out to our colorful and dedicated service personnel, who've been bringing our national interest, but the reality is over the terminal three eld we've increased expenditure on equipment by ten 1000000000 pounds," he told the BBC's Newsnight.

The polity has quoted the spokesman for the duty obligate in Helmand, Lieutenant Colonel Nick Richardson, as locution it was a "sad fact that helicopters would not hit ransomed the lives" of the soldiers killed terminal week.

Lt Col histrion told the BBC: "Helicopters are not the answer to some problems.

"We still need to place organisation on the connector to vow with the local Afghans, to verify on the insurgents."

More equipment, including Merlin helicopters and Ridgeback armoured vehicles, are being brought in this assemblage and eight Chinooks utilised in Irak are being regenerate to cope with Afghanistan's defy and terrain.

An offensive designed to process section ahead of Afghan elections incoming period has seen a big process in UK casualties, with 15 servicemen killed in the prototypal 10 life of the month.

It effectuation 184 service organisation hit today died in Afghanistan since 2001, more than the 179 who were killed during the struggle in Iraq.
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