![]() The chief of the defence staff, General Sir Nick Houghton, said: “Over 13 years of operations in Afghanistan, thousands of men and women from all of our armed forces have played a hugely significant role in delivering a security legacy for the people of Afghanistan. Thomson paid tribute to those who had died, saying: “We will never forget the 453 soldiers, sailors and airmen who have made the ultimate sacrifice.”Ī British officer walking on deserted ground inside Camp Bastion, Helmand province, Afghanistan, on the exact spot where the first tents were erected in 2006. ![]() We have not seen any evidence of Isis in Helmand at all.” “It is going to be a transition and I think that is really important. “There will be continued support in the ministry of defence and the ministry of interior to people, there will be train, assist and advise missions through parts of the country. We are transitioning now for the next two years. “The way we are ending the mission is very different. “Iraq and Afghanistan are very different in terms of the environment here, whether that is the geography, the culture, their societal structures and so on,” he said. This year, Taliban operations to reclaim towns such as Sangin and Now Zad, once held by British forces, have inflicted heavy casualties on Afghan forces.ĭespite these difficulties, the senior UK officer in Helmand, Brigadier Rob Thomson, blasted “erroneous” comparisons between the critical situation in Iraq and what may happen in Afghanistan. Staff Sergent Craig Worsley, 34, of 1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards, sitting inside temporary tented accommodation at Camp Bastion as troops prepare to withdraw and return to the UK. However, the chief of the general staff, General Sir Nick Carter, has admitted security in Helmand remains difficult. “We are very grateful for the courage and commitment of your soldiers and we are ready to deliver security ourselves,” he added. In recent months, hundreds of military vehicles and shipping containers with kit have been brought back to the UK.Ī battalion of troops, believed to be Americans, is expected to be the only foreign force to remain.Ĭommenting on the handover, Helmand’s provincial governor Naim Baluch said the UK’s armed forces and their allies had helped to improve security in Helmand. Now its runway – at one point the fifth busiest UK-operated airstrip – is expected to handle commercial flights. Photograph: Syed Jan Sabawoon/EPAĪt the peak of the Afghan conflict there were 10,000 British personnel there, with 20,000 US marines, Danes, Estonians and other nationalities at 180 bases and checkpoints.Ĭamp Bastion, surrounded by desert, grew into a sprawling base and at its largest had a perimeter of 22 miles. The end of combat operations in Helmand paves the way for the final transfer of security to the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF). He said the Taliban had not been defeated, but Afghan forces were taking “full responsibilities”.īritish soldiers patrolling in Kabul, Afghanistan. “Our armed forces’ tremendous sacrifice laid the foundations for a strong Afghan security force, set the security context that enabled the first democratic transition of power in the country’s history and stopped it being a launchpad for terrorist attacks in the UK.” He said the bulk of British troops would be home by Christmas, with a few hundred staying to help with training at the officer academy. But don’t let’s ignore what has been achieved.” “Clearly the numbers weren’t there at the beginning, the equipment wasn’t quite good enough at the beginning and we’ve learned an awful lot from the campaign. The defence secretary said: “Mistakes were made militarily, mistakes were made by the politicians at the time and this goes back 10, 13 years. Photograph: Wakil Kohsar/AFP/Getty Images Soldiers salute as the British, Nato, Afghan, and US flags are seen on their masts during a handover ceremony before the British and US military withdrawal from Camp Bastion.
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