Afghanistan: British soldiers killed in explosion remembered

THOUSANDS of troops on the front line in Afghanistan have fallen silent to remember six British soldiers killed in an explosion earlier this month.

From large main operating bases to remote camps, vigils will be held throughout the day to remember their colleagues.

At Lashkar Gah flags flew at half-mast and prayers were said as hundreds gathered at the bases’ memorial this morning.

Tributes were read to each of the six men killed in the deadliest single attack on UK forces in Afghanistan since 2001.

The sounding of the last post was followed by a minute’s silence.

Parades are due to take place at Camp Bastion and Kandahar and smaller acts of remembrance will take place at forward operating bases across the country.

Corporal Jake Hartley, 20, Private Anthony Frampton, 20, Private Christopher Kershaw, 19, Private Daniel Wade, 20, and Private Daniel Wilford, 21, all of 3rd Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment, died alongside Sergeant Nigel Coupe, 33, of 1st Battalion The Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment when a Taleban roadside bomb destroyed their Warrior armoured vehicle in Helmand province on March 6.

Their bodies are due to be repatriated shortly.

Soldiers from 3 Yorks are flying out to join the 12th Mechanized Brigade in Helmand province on Operation Herrick 16.

Over the weekend, members of the regiment supported a major Afghan-led operation to clear insurgents from Taleban strongholds in and around Helmand’s second city of Gereshk.