More troops head for Kabul

Another batch of British troops is today joining the multi-national security force in Afghanistan.

Eighty-seven members of the 2 Battalion The Parachute Regiment, including 45 Gurkhas, left RAF Brize Norton, Oxon, on board a VC10 aircraft bound for Oman and then on to Kabul.

The soldiers were due to join with colleagues as part of the International Stabilisation Force being led by British troops.

Their expected three-month tour of duty will involve working with the interim authority in Kabul and the security of key installations and the airport in the city.

A further seven flights containing members of 2 Para, part of the 16 Air Assault Brigade, were expected to leave throughout the week from the same RAF base.

Major Dan O’Donnell, 34, the commanding officer of C Gurkha Company, said his men were ‘‘raring to go’’ and keen to get on to the streets of Afghanistan’s war-ravaged city.

The battalion only returned from Macedonia in October following a highly successful 30-day mission to collect weapons from the National Liberation Army.

Major O’Donnell, from Colchester, Essex, said: ‘‘Our main duties will be to build up trust with the civilian population during patrols on the streets of the city and also the securing of key installations in Kabul.

’’It’s going to be cold, wet and pretty inhospitable, but we’re used to it and raring to go to get out there.’’

Paying tribute to his troops under his command, he added: ‘‘The Gurkhas are superb at building up relationships with civilians and it’s imperative we do this quickly and successfully.

‘‘Our main dangers are going to be the unexploded ordnance in and around the city. We are expecting a stay of three months, but things are changing daily and we’ll stay there as long as we are needed.’’

Lance-Corporal James Brudenell, 25, from Wellingborough, Northants, who has previously been on tour to Sierra Leone and Macedonia, says his colleagues were expecting harsh conditions, but were eager to get into Afghanistan.

He said: ‘‘It’s going to be very cold and we’re expecting a lot of snow on the ground, but we don’t know what kind of reception to expect from the locals. We’ve got a job to do and going abroad is what you join the regiment for.

‘‘We’ll be patrolling the streets and aiming to win the trust and confidence of the local population.’’

Private Lee Pritchard, a 22-year-old from Swansea, South Wales, said before boarding the flight: ‘‘I’m really looking forward to it as we’ve been on standby for a while. Me and the other lads just want to get out there now and do what we’re paid to do.

‘‘None of the guys are worried, we’ve got excellent cameraderie and we’re all up for it.’’

Rifleman Roka Hikmat, of Dang in West Nepal, said: ‘‘It is my third tour and we just want to go. We left Colchester last night and will soon be on the streets of Kabul. It’s a challenge and we all want to do it.’’

A further flight of Paras was due to leave Brize Norton tomorrow.