British death toll in Afghanistan hits 300 as Royal Marine dies after explosion

British death toll in Afghanistan hits 300 as Royal Marine dies after explosion. Britain's death toll in the war in Afghanistan has reached 300, it emerged yesterday, with our servicemen now dying at the rate of more than two a week.

The latest casualty, a Royal Marine who died after being struck by a Taliban roadside bomb, is the 100th UK serviceman killed in the battlezone in the past ten months.

The current attrition rate of ten a month is accelerating as the increasingly bloody conflict drags on.

Fallen heroes: The 300 soldiers killed in Afghanistan since 2001. Some of the dead, including the 300th victim, are marked with silhouettes because pictures are not available. A full list of the dead is at the end of the story

It took almost eight years for Britain to suffer its 200th fatality in Afghanistan: Private Richard Hunt, 21, of The Royal Welsh Regiment, who lost his life in an explosion last August.

So far in 2010, 55 troops have been killed, putting the military on course to exceed the 108 personnel lost in Afghanistan in 2009 - the bloodiest year for the Armed Forces since the Falklands War in 1982.

The latest grim landmark sparked renewed calls for David Cameron to bring the servicemen and women home. The Prime Minister said the death was 'desperately sad news'.

He said: 'Of course, the 300th death is no more or less tragic than the 299 that came before. But it's a moment for the whole country to reflect on the incredible service and sacrifice and dedication that the Armed Forces give on our behalf.'

Mr Cameron defended Britain's continuing involvement, stressing: 'We are paying a high price for keeping our country safe, for making our world a safer place and we should keep asking why we are there and how long we must be there.

'We are there because the Afghans are not yet ready to keep their own country safe and to keep terrorists and terrorist training camps out of their country.'

The latest Marine to die, who is yet to be named, served with 40 Commando and suffered severe injuries when he was struck by an improvised explosive device in the Taliban stronghold of Sangin on June 12.

He was flown back to the UK for emergency treatment at the New Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, but died on Sunday morning. His family were at his bedside.

He was the 10th serviceman to die since the start of the month and the seventh member of 40 Commando to make the ultimate sacrifice.

Deadly: Soldiers from 1st Battalion the Royal Gurkha Rifles in Nahr e Saraj village in Helmand on Sunday

Major Remy Butler, of 40 Commando, said: 'Our thoughts are with his immediate family who were with him at the hospital. His courage and sacrifice will not be forgotten.'

Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup, the Chief of the Defence Staff, said: 'We remember everyone who has given their life in the line of duty and honour the significant progress they have helped to deliver in Afghanistan. In theatre today, our people will be more determined than ever to deliver their task of supporting Afghans to build for their own future.'

Fighting has been increasingly intense in Helmand in the past year.

More than 9,500 British troops in the troubled province have been joined by 20,000 U.S. forces as part of President Barack Obama's 'surge' strategy to smash the insurgency.

But roadside bomb attacks were up 94 per cent in the first four months of 2010 compared with the same period in 2009 and the increasing levels of violence have heightened calls for the Government to withdraw British troops.

Troops were sent to Afghanistan in the wake of Al Qaeda's attacks on the U.S. in September 2001 to unseat the Taliban, who were sheltering the perpetrators. However, critics say that rather than bringing democracy to the country, Western troops are helping prop up a corrupt president, Hamid Karzai, while Al Qaeda has decamped across the border to Pakistan.

Lindsey German, of the Stop the War Coalition, said: 'This is obviously a very sad occasion but . . . the Government should now admit there is no justification for British troops to be in Afghanistan and bring them home.'

The Tory-LibDem coalition has insisted it will not cut and run, although Mr Cameron has said he wants military operations to go ' further and faster' in the hope of an early phased reduction of forces.

The prospect of more casualties has been raised by speculation that British troops could be moved from Helmand to join a massive counterinsurgency operation in neighbouring Kandahar.

Solemn ritual: Wootton Bassett at a standstill for the repatriation of Lance Corporal Andrew Breeze and Private Jonathan Monk last week

UK's envoy to Afghanistan taking 'extended holiday'

Britain's envoy to Afghanistan has left his post for a period of 'extended leave' just as the war enters its 'vital' stage.

The absence of Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles, who is known to be sceptical of the Nato war effort, will coincide with a major conference on the conflict next month.

The Foreign Office said Sir Sherard, previously Britain's ambassador in Afghanistan, was entitled to a break after spending three years in the war zone. But his disappearance will raise eyebrows at a time when David Cameron is stressing that 2010 is the crucial year to turn Afghanistan around.

Sir Sherard's desire to press for talks with more moderate elements of the Taliban has been rather eclipsed by the new, more aggressive Nato military strategy.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office said he would be replaced until the autumn by Karen Pierce, the Foreign Office director for South Asia and Afghanistan.

Why are so many British soldiers paying the ultimate sacrifice?

The rate at which British soldiers are being killed in Afghanistan is almost is almost four times greater than the U.S. casualty toll, according to new research.

Academics at the University of Cambridge found that the death rate of UK military personnel between February and May was 9.9 per 1,000, compared to 2.7 for American forces.

From August 17, 2009, when the casualty toll surpassed 200, the Mail's tribute to those killed in Afghanistan

The biostatsistics team at the Medical Research Council concluded that Britain could expect as many fatalities in 10 weeks in Afghanistan as in 20 weeks in 2006.

Military chiefs accept that troops in the highly-volatile Helmand Province are experiencing some of the fiercest fighting since the Second World War.

The researchers found that for the year to May, the death rate was 13 per 1,000 soldiers. The official level of 'major combat' is a death rate of six.

The number of casualties has soared since UK forces deployed to the souther province of Helmand to provide security in the insurgents' stronghold four years ago.

Before that, the British presence had largely been confined to Mazar e Sharif and Mey Maneh in northern Afghanistan. Up to then there had only been five fatalities.

By the end of 2006, there had been another 39 British deaths in the conflict. This rose to 42 in 2007, 51 in 2008 and 108 in 2009.

By contrast 179 UK personnel died in Iraq between 2003 and 2009, and 255 died in the 1982 Falklands War.

Defence experts have claimed that the reason for the mounting death toll has been the success of the coalition fighting against the Taliban in conventional open battles.

It has forced insurgents into terror tactics of using home-made roadside bombs and mines to kill troops, snipers and - occasionally - suicide bombers.

In one of the deadliest developments of the conflict, the Taliban have stepped up their use of murderous improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

Planted by insurgents in roads and walls, their deadly blasts are triggered when foot patrols or vehicles touch hidden pressure pads - causing death or horrific injury. The devices are responsible for around 80 per cent of UK casualties.

Amid growing confusion about the mission, an official update for the UN Security Council says there has been a dramatic escalation of violence this year.

Roadside bomb attacks were up 94 per cent in the first four months of 2010 compared to the same period in 2009.

However, one minister has admitted privately that Britain 'bit off more than it could chew' when it deployed to Helmand.

The Labour government was constantly criticised for under-resurcing the mission, skimping on crucially-needed armourded vehicles and helicopters which placed troops at greater risk.

However, military chiefs have been criticised for being too gung-ho about the mission in Helmand amid claims that they were looking to score an easy victory after the British Army's debacle in Iraq.

The fact that the Ministry of Defence was also facing pressure to cut the costs of the three Armed Services made it more imperative for the Army to demonstrate its value with frontline fighting.

The US has suffered the most fatalities of the coalition partners, losing 1,115 personnel since 2001, although its presence numbers 100,000.

However, countries with much smaller military forces in the country have suffered significant losses.

Denmark, who have 750 troops, has suffered 33 fatalities, while 147 Canadian personnel have died from its force of about 2,800.

But military officers are increasingly frustrated that the British public is focusing on coffins rather than counter-insurgency successes.

UK troops in Afghanistan remain broadly positive about their mission, even though Britain has been embroiled in the conflict for nearly twice as long as the entire Second World War.

Captain Doug Beattie, 44, who served in Helmand in 2006-07 and 2008 and is returning for a third tour with 1st Battalion the Royal Irish Regiment this autumn, said: 'Soldiers believe in what they are doing and what they have been asked to do.

'Success can not be measured by the numbers killed or wounded but by what we are achieving on the ground in partnership with our Afghan allies.

'It is a sign of the dedication and commitment of our Armed Forces that even as many are admitting to failure they are striving for success. In the end we can't fail, for the sake of the Afghan people and the security of this country.'

Fallen heroes: The 300 British soldiers killed in Afghanistan

• April 9 2002 Private Darren George, 23
• August 17 Sergeant Robert Busuttil, 30
• January 28 2004 Private Jonathan Kitulagoda, 23
• October 29 2005 Lance Corporal Steven Sherwood, 23
• March 22 2006 Corporal Mark Cridge, 25
• March 27 Corporal Peter Craddock, 31
• June 11 Captain Jim Philippson, 29
• June 27Captain David Patten, 38, and Sergeant Paul Bartlett, 35
• July 1 Corporal Peter Thorpe, 27, Lance Corporal Jabron Hashmi, 24,
• July 5 Private Damien Jackson, 19,
• August 1 Captain Alex Eida, 29, 2nd Lieutenant Ralph Johnson, 24, Lance Corporal Ross Nicholls, 27
• August 6 Private Andrew Cutts, 19
• August 9 Private Leigh Reeves, 25
• August 12 Lance Corporal Sean Tansey, 26
• August 20 Corporal Bryan Budd, 29
• August 27 Lance Corporal Jonathan Hetherington, 22
• September 1 Ranger Anare Draiva, 27, Lance Corporal Paul Muirhead, 29
• September 2 14 soldiers killed in Nimrod crash: Flight Lieutenant Steven Johnson, 38, Flt Lt Leigh Mitchelmore, 28, Flt Lt Gareth Nicholas, 40, Flt Lt Allan Squires, 39, Flt Lt Steven Swarbrick, 28, Flight Sergeant Gary Andrews, 48, Flt Sgt Stephen Beattie, 42, Flt Sgt Gerard Bell, 48, Flt Sgt Adrian Davies, 49, Sgt Benjamin Knight, 25, Sgt John Langton, 29, Sgt Gary Quilliam, 42, Lance Corporal Oliver Dicketts, 27, Marine Joseph Windall, 22
• September 4 Private Craig O'Donnell, 24
• September 6 Corporal Mark Wright, 27, Lance Corporal Luke McCulloch, 21
• October 19 Marine Gary Wright, 22
• December 5 Marine Jonathan Wigley, 21
• December 12 Richard Watson, 23
• December 27 Lance Bombardier James Dwyer, 22
• January 13 2007 Marine Tom Curry, 21
• January 15 Lance Corporal Mathew Ford, 30
• February 21 2007 Marine Jonathan Holland, 23, Marine Scott Summers, 23
• March 3 Lance Bombardier Ross Clark, 25, Lance Bombardier Liam 'Paddy' McLaughlin, 21
• March 6 Royal Marine Ben Reddy, 22
• March 8 Warrant Officer Class 2 Mick Smith, 39
• April 13 Private Chris Gray, 19
• May 3 Guardsman Simon Davison, 22
• May 20 Lance Corporal George Russell Davey, 23
• May 26 Guardsman Daniel Probyn, 22
• May 28 Corporal Darren Bonner, 31
• May 30 Corporal Mike Gilyeat, 28,
• June 6 Lance Corporal Paul Sandford, 23
• June 9 Guardsman Neil Downes, 20
• June 24 Drummer Thomas Wright, 26
• June 30 Captain Sean Dolan, 40
• July 1 Sergeant Dave Wilkinson, 33
• July 12 Guardsman Daryl Hickey, 27
• July 25 Lance Corporal Alex Hawkins, 22
• July 26 Guardsman David Atherton, 25
• July 27 Sergeant Barry Keen, 34
• July 29 Lance Corporal Michael Jones, 26
• August 10 Private Tony Rawson, 27
• August 11 Captain David Hicks, 26
• August 23 Private Aaron McClure, 19, Private Robert Foster, 19, Private John Thrumble, 21
• August 30 Senior Aircraftman Christopher Bridge, 20
• September 5 Private Ben Ford, 18, and Private Damian Wright, 23
• September 8 Sergeant Craig Brelsford, 25, and Private Johan Botha, 25
• September 17 Lance Corporal Ivano Violino, 29
• September 20 Colour Sergeant Phillip Newman, 36, Private Brian Tunnicliffe, 33
• October 4 Major Alexis Roberts, 32
• November 9 Lance Corporal Jake Alderton, 22, Captain John McDermid, 43
• December 4 Trooper Jack Sadler, 21
• December 8 Sergeant Lee Johnson, 33
• January 20 2008 Corporal Darryl Gardiner, 25
• January 17 Corporal Damian Lawrence, 25
• February 20 Corporal Damian Mulvihill, 32
• March 30 Lieutenant John Thornton, 22, Marine David Marsh, 23
• April 13 Senior Aircraftman Graham Livingstone, 23, Senior Aircraftman Gary Thompson, 51
• April 21 Trooper Robert Pearson, 22
• May 2 Trooper Ratu Babakobau, 29
• May 19 James Thompson, 27
• May 25 Marine Dale Gostick, 22
• June 8 Private Nathan Cuthbertson, 19, Private Daniel Gamble, 22, Private Charles David Murray, 19
• June 12 Lance Corporal James Bateman, 29, Private Jeff Doherty, 20
• June 17 Corporal Sarah Bryant, 26, Corporal Sean Robert Reeve, 28, Lance Corporal Richard Larkin, 39, Private Paul Stout, 31
• June 24 Sergeant Major Michael Williams, 40, Private Joe Whittaker, 20
• June 27 Warrant Officer Dan Shirley, 32
• June 28 Lance Corporal James Johnson, 31
• July 22 Corporal Jason Barnes, 25
• July 24 Army dog handler Lance Corporal Kenneth Michael Rowe, 24
• July 28 Sergeant Jonathan Mathews, 35
• July 29 Private Peter Cowton, 25
• August 11 Signaller Wayne Bland, 21
• August 18 2008 Corporal Barry Dempsey, 29
• September 4 Ranger Justin James Cupples, 29
• September 10 Warrant Officer Class 2 Gary O'Donnell, 40
• September 12 Private Jason Lee Rawstron, 23
• September 13 Lance Corporal Nicky Mason, 26
• October 15 Trooper James Munday, 21
• November 4 Rifleman Yubraj Rai,28
• November 12 Marine Robert McKibben, 32, Marine Neil Dunstan, 32
• November 15 Colour Sergeant Krishnabahadur Dura, 36
• November 24 Marine Alexander Lucas, 24
• November 27 Marine Tony Evans, 20, Marine Georgie Sparks, 19
• December 12 Lance Corporal Steven 'Jamie' Fellows, 26, Sergeant John Manuel, 38, Corporal Marc Birch, 26, Marine Damian Davies, 27
• December 15 Lieutenant Aaron Lewis, 26
• December 17 Rifleman Stuart Nash, 21
• December 21 Corporal Robert Christopher Deering, 33
• December 24 Lance Corporal Ben Whatley, 20
• December 31 Corporal Liam Elms, 26
• January 1 2009 Serjeant Chris Reed, 25
• January 11Marine Travis Mackin, 22
• January 14 Captain Tom Sawyer, 26, Corporal Danny Winter, 28
• January 17 Acting Corporal Richard Robinson, 21
• January 30 Corporal Daniel Nield, 31
• February 14 Marine Darren Smith, 28
• February 16 Lance Corporal Stephen Kingscott, 22
• February 25 Acting Lance Corporal Paul Upton, 31, Corporal Tom Gaden, 24, Rifleman Jamie Gunn, 21
• February 25 Marine Michael Laski, 21,
• March 14 Lance Corporal Christopher Harkett, 22
• March 15 Corporal Graeme Stiff, 24, Corporal Dean John, 25
• April 28 Lance Sergeant Tobie Fasfous, 29
• May 7 Corporal Sean Binnie, 22
• May 7 Rifleman Adrian Sheldon, 25
• May 7Sergeant Ben Ross, 34, Corporal Kumar Pun, 31
• May 12 Lieutenant Mark Evison, 26
• May 14 Marine Jason Mackie, 21
• May 22 Fusilier Petero 'Pat' Suesue, 28
• May 23 Sapper Jordan Rossi, 22,
• May 27 Lance Corporal Martin Richards, 24
• May 28 Lance Corporal Kieron Hill, 20
• May 30 Lance Corporal Nigel Moffett, 28, Corporal Stephen Bolger
• June 2 Rifleman Cyrus Thatcher, 19
• June 11 Private Robert McLaren, 20
• June 12 Lieutenant Paul Mervis, 27
• June 19 Major Sean Birchall, 33
• July 1 Lieutenant Colonel Rupert Thorneloe, 39, Trooper Joshua Hammond, 18
• July 4 Lance Corporal David Dennis, 29, Private Robert Laws, 18
• July 5 Lance Corporal Dane Elson, 22
• July 6 Captain Ben Babington-Browne, 27
• July 7 Trooper Christopher Whiteside, 20
• July 9 Rifleman Daniel Hume, 22, Private John Brackpool, 27
• July 10 Corporal Lee Scott, 26, Corporal Jonathan Horne, 28, Rifleman James Backhouse, 18, Rifleman Joseph Murphy, 18, Rifleman Daniel Simpson, 20, Rifleman William Aldridge, 28
• July 16 Rifleman Aminiasi Toge, 26
• July 19 Corporal Joseph Etchells, 22
• July 20 Captain Daniel Shepherd, 28
• July 22 Guardsman Christopher King, 20
• July 25 Bombardier Craig Hopson, 24
• July 27 Warrant Officer Class 2 Sean Upton, 35
• July 27 Trooper Phillip Lawrence, 22
• August 4 Craftsman Anthony Lombardi, 21
• August 6 Corporal Kevin Mulligan, 26, Lance Corporal Dale Hopkins, 23, and Private Kyle Adams, 21
• August 8 Private Jason Williams, 23
• August 13 Captain Mark Hale, 42, Rifleman Daniel Wild, 19, Lance Bombardier Matthew Hatton, 23
• August 15 Private Richard Hunt, 21, Sergeant Simon Valentine, 29
• August 16 Fusilier Simon Annis, 22, Fusilier Louis Carter, 18, Lance Corporal James Fullarton, 24
• August 20 Serjeant Paul McAleese, 29, Private Johnathon Young, 18,
• August 25 Fusilier Shaun Bush, 24
• August 29 Sergeant Lee Houltram,
• August 31Sergeant Stuart Millar, 40, Private Kevin Elliott, 24
• September 2 Lance Corporal Richard Brandon, 24
• September 3 Private Gavin Elliott, 19
• September 9 Corporal John Harrison, 29
• September 13 Kingsman Jason Dunn-Bridgeman, 20
• September 16 Trooper Brett Hall, 21,
• September 16 Acting Serjeant Stuart McGrath, 28
• September 21 Acting Sergeant Michael Lockett, 29
• September 27 Private James Prosser, 21
• October 1 Senior Aircraftsman Marcin Wojtak, 24
• October 5 Guardsman Jamie Janes, 20
• October 8 Lance Corporal James Hill, 23
• October 22 Corporal James Oakland, 26
• October 25 Corporal Thomas Mason, 27
• October 31 Staff Sergeant Olaf Schmid, 30
• November 3 Warrant Officer Class 1 Darren Chant, 40, Sergeant Matthew Telford, 37, Guardsman Jimmy Major, 18, Corporal Steven Boote, 22, Corporal Nicholas Webster-Smith, 24
• November 5 Serjeant Phillip Scott, 30
• November 7 Rifleman Philip Allen, 20
• November 8 Rifleman Samuel Bassett, 20
• November 15 Rifleman Andrew Fentiman, 23, Corporal Loren Marlton-Thomas, 28
• November 18 Sergeant Robert Loughran-Dickson, 33
• November 30 Acting Sergeant John Amer, 30
• December 7 Lance Corporal Adam Drane, 23
• December 15 Lance Corporal David Kirkness, 24, Rifleman James Brown, 18
• December 19 Corporal Simon Hornby, 29,
• December 20 Lance Corporal Michael Pritchard, 22
• December 21 Lance Corporal Christopher Roney, 23
• December 22 Lance Corporal Tommy Brown
• December 28 Rifleman Aidan Howell, 19,
• December 31 Sapper David Michael Watson, 23
• January 3 2010 Private Robert Hayes, 19
• January 11 Captain Daniel Read, 31
• January 15 Corporal Lee Brownson, 30, Rifleman Luke Farmer, 19
• January 22 Rifleman Peter Aldridge, 19
• January 24 Lance Corporal Daniel Cooper, 22
• February 1 Corporal Liam Riley, 21, Lance Corporal Graham Shaw, 27
• February 7 Corporal John Moore, 22, Private Sean McDonald, 26
• February 8 Warrant Officer Class 2 David Markland, 36
• February 11 Lance Corporal Darren Hicks, 29
• February 13 Lance Sergeant Dave Greenhalgh, 25
• February 14 Rifleman Mark Marshall, 29, Kingsman Sean Dawson, 19
• February 15 Sapper Guy Mellors, 20,
• February 18 Lieutenant Douglas Dalzell, 27, Lance Sergeant David Walker, 36
• February 24 Senior Aircraftman Luke Southgate, 20,
• February 25 Rifleman Martin Kinggett, 19
• February 26 Sergeant Paul Fox, 34
• March 1 Rifleman Carlo Apolis, 28
• March 2 Corporal Richard Green, 23
• March 5 Rifleman Jonathon Allott, 19
• March 6 Rifleman Liam Maughan, 18
• March 7 Corporal Stephen Thompson, 31, Lance Corporal Tom Keogh, 24
• March 15 Captain Martin Driver, 31
• March 16 Lance Corporal Scott Hardy, 26, Private James Grigg, 21
• March 22 Serjeant Steven Campbell, 30
• March 26 Lance Corporal of Horse Jonathan Woodgate, 27
• March 27 Rifleman Daniel Holkham, 19
• April 1 Guardsman Michael Sweeney, 19
• April 4 Rifleman Mark Turner, 21
• April 7 Fusilier Jonathan Burgess, 20
• May 2 Corporal Harvey Alex Holmes, 22
• May 3 Sapper Daryn Roy, 28, Lance Corporal Barry Buxton, 27
• May 9 Corporal Christopher Lewis Harrison, 26
• May 21 Corporal Stephen Walker, 42
• May 26 Gunner Zack Cusack, 20, Corporal Stephen Curley, 26
• May 30 Marine Scott Gregory Taylor, 21
• June 1 Marine Anthony Hotine, 21
• June 4 Corporal Terry Webster, 24, Lance Corporal Alan Cochran, 23
• June 8 Lance Bombardier Mark Chandler, 32
• June 9 Private Jonathan Monk, 25
• June 12 Lance Corporal Andrew Breeze, 31
• June 14 Marine Steven Birdsall, 20
• June 15 Corporal Taniela Tolevu Rogoiruwai, 32, Kingsman Ponipate Tagitaginimoce, 29
• June 18 Trooper Ashley Smith, 21
• June 20 Royal Marine from 40 Commando ( dailymail.co.uk )