Fighting the Taliban 'our patriotic duty'
The Prime Minister described the mission as a "patriotic duty" to keep the streets of Britain safe from the threat of terrorist attack.
He paid tribute to the "sacrifice" of the 15 troops who had died since the start of the month – including Trooper Joshua Hammond of Plymstock, Plymouth, from 2nd Royal Tank Regiment – in the bloodiest fighting the Army had seen in the current campaign.
The Ministry of Defence named six more of the dead, including five members of 2nd Battalion The Rifles – which recruits many of its ranks from the Westcountry – who were killed on Friday during a foot patrol near the town of Sangin in central Helmand.
They were Corporal Jonathan Horne, 28, Rifleman Daniel Simpson, 20, and three 18-year-olds – Rifleman William Aldridge, Rifleman James Backhouse and Rifleman Joseph Murphy.
Also named yesterday was Corporal Lee Scott, 26, of the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment who died in an explosion near Nad-e-Ali in Helmand on the same day.
Two soldiers killed on Thursday were named as Rifleman Daniel Hume, 22, of 4th Battalion The Rifles, and Private John Brackpool, 27, of Prince of Wales' Company, 1st Battalion Welsh Guards.
US President Barack Obama said his "heart went out" to the families of the troops who had been killed as he praised the British contribution to the international effort in Afghanistan.
"Great Britain has played an extraordinary role in this coalition," he told Sky News. "The contribution of the British is critical."
Mr Brown, in an interview with the British Forces Broadcasting Service, acknowledged that it was proving to be a "difficult summer" for the troops in Afghanistan.
"These sacrifices that have hurt so many families in our country are ones that the whole of Britain will want to acknowledge," he said.
He had been assured in a lengthy briefing by commanders that the Operation Panther's Claw offensive to drive the Taliban from central Helmand province was making "considerable progress".
"I think the operation we are engaged with is showing signs of success. Our troops are making progress as they attempt to make the area safe," he said.
"The reports that I have show that despite the loss of life – and it is tragic and it is very, very sad indeed – our forces are doing a magnificent job in moving forward."
His comments came as Conservative former Defence Secretary Lord King of Bridgwater became the latest senior figure to criticise the conduct of the campaign, saying "serious political mistakes" had been made by the Government.
There had never been enough troops on the ground, he said, and the force was suffering from a "critical shortage" of helicopters.
"What matters now is this is the crunch time," said the former Bridgwater MP. "We are in this critical offensive at the present time which, I think, will determine the outcome of the whole Afghanistan campaign. They must have the resources to do the job."
Former Tavistock MP and Royal Marine, Lord Burnett, who served as a troop commander in both 42 and 40 Commando, has long called for more helicopters to support the front-line effort and for both Army and Royal Marines numbers to be increased.
"The vast majority of the public are rightly immensely proud of the personnel in the armed forces," he said. "They recognise their courage, stamina and devotion to duty.
"As far as the fighting troops are concerned, these tragic events will redouble their determination to see through the campaign to bring peace and stability to Afghanistan."
Mr Brown acknowledged public concern about the campaign, but he insisted there was a "clear strategy" to remove the terrorist networks from Afghanistan and Pakistan in order to protect the streets of Britain.
"If we were to allow the Taliban to be back in power in Afghanistan and al Qaida then to have the freedom of manoeuvre it had before 2001, then we would be less safe as a country."
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