Four soldiers drown in Afghanistan canal horror

12 April 2012

Four soldiers have died in a horrific accident in Afghanistan, bringing the total number of British deaths in the country to 307.

The men drowned when their 18-ton Ridgeback armoured vehicle plunged into a canal. Britain's largest Afghan military base, Camp Bastion, was in mourning today, with flags flown at half mast. Twelve personnel have died since last Wednesday, the worst week since the conflict began.

The growing death toll and US President Barack Obama's sacking of Nato commander Stanley McChrystal cast further doubt over the likelihood of success in the nine-year war.

As news of the latest casualties emerged, the Standard was on a patrol in the same area in a Vixen Plus armoured Land Rover with the RAF Regiment's Ft-Lt Phillip Stevens, from No 4 RAF Force Protection Wing headquarters.

Flt-Lt Stevens, from Enfield, said: "There is always sorrow. Our thoughts are with the families at home. We all have families of our own.

"To us here in theatre it is not about numbers. Each one is a tragedy but what we are doing here in Camp Bastion will continue. We have a job to do."

The Ridgeback accident happened at 11 last night. It is likely that the driver was travelling using night vision aids rather than headlights in an area that is under threat of improvised explosive devices.

Colleagues were unable to rescue the men from the deep and fast-flowing Nar-e-Bughra canal, which irrigates much of central Helmand.

Paying tribute to the four soldiers, the Ministry of Defence confirmed that three were from 1st Battalion The Mercian Regiment and one from 1st Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment. Next of kin have been informed.

Lt-Col James Carr-Smith, spokesman for Task Force Helmand, said: "They will be sorely missed and their actions will not be forgotten."

The soldiers were part of a police advisory team and were responding to an incident at a nearby checkpoint. They are not thought to have been under enemy fire and an investigation is being launched.

So far, 18 UK soldiers have died this month. June last year was the bloodiest month for the UK mission in Afghanistan — 22 British troops were killed.

Ministers and senior diplomats were today insisting the mission would not be derailed by Gen McChrystal's forced departure after he criticised the Washington administration in a magazine article.

Defence Secretary Liam Fox said that Nato's British deputy commander in Afghanistan, Lt-Gen Nick Parker, would take charge until US Gen David Petraeus is appointed as a full-time replacement. He said: "There can be no celebration among our enemies — the Taliban or anybody else — because it's very clear that we're getting a continuity in policy."

David Cameron has insisted that the UK remains "absolutely committed" to the military campaign in Afghanistan despite the sacking and spoke to the US president last night.

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