The father of a RAF officer killed on duty praises British soldiers on duty
Flight lieutenant, 29-year-old Rakesh Chauhan, died in April when his helicopter came down in Kandahar province.
His father Kishor Chauhan spoke out after British combat operations in the war torn country ended after the last UK base in Afghanistan was transferred to local security forces on Sunday.
Mr Chauhan said, “I believe the British troops did a good job in Afghanistan.
“They did not go out there just to protect the Afghan people but to protect the people of Britain from the rise of terrorists.
“It was a very important role to play and I am very proud that my son was part of that.
“We all miss him sorely but he was part of that operation to keep us safe.”
The total number of deaths of British soldiers stands at 453 whilst the number of US cases is at 2,349.
Prime Minister David Cameron said he would not forget the troops who died serving their country, Mr Cameron tweeted,
“I made a commitment that I would get our Armed Forces out of Afghanistan by 2015 and today sees the end of combat operations in the country.
“We will always remember the courage of those who served in Afghanistan on our behalf and never forget those who made the ultimate sacrifice.”
An Afghan Defence Ministry spokesman welcomed the handover, which he said, “puts our capabilities into practice.”
“Afghan security forces have been leading the fight in ground operations in the country for two years now.”
The UK forces were part of a US-led coalition which targeted the Taliban in 2001, following the 9/11 attacks in the US.
Camp Bastion, in Helmand province, has been the UK troops’ main base since 2006.
Helmand’s Provincial Governor Naim Baluch said British and US forces had strengthened security and Afghanistan was grateful for their courage and commitment.
