First British woman killed in Afghanistan as four soldiers die in secret SAS mission

[Snowden]

First British woman killed in Afghanistan as four soldiers die in secret SAS mission


By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 2:58 PM on 18th June 2008

The first British woman was killed in action in Afghanistan in a blast that also claimed the lives of three other soldiers.

They were taking part in an operation east of Lashkar Gah in Helmand Province when their vehicle was caught in an explosion at about 3.40pm local time yesterday.

Three of the soldiers were killed in the blast, while the fourth was pronounced dead on arrival at Camp Bastion, the Ministry of Defence said.

They are reported to have been travelling in a snatch Land Rover, which has been criticised for not offering enough protection against roadside devices.



At risk: British soldiers with the International Security Assistance Force are seen at a checkpoint on the outskirts of the city of Kandarhar today

It is understood that the three men were special forces reservists from the 23rd Special Air Service Regiment, which is one of two Territorial Army SAS units. The woman is believed to have been part of the Army's Intelligence Corps.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown expressed his 'deepest condolences' to the families of the four soldiers.

He said: 'They were in the most dangerous of jobs in the most difficult of circumstances.

'I salute not just their bravery, dedication and professionalism but that of all our armed forces. Our troops are the best in the world and fighting for the noblest of causes.'

A fifth soldier wounded in the attack is said to be in a stable condition.

Nine British soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan in nine days, marking a sharp upturn in violence against troops in the troubled country.

Five men from 2 Para, based in Colchester, Essex, died in two separate incidents last week.



Controversial: Snatch Land Rovers are vulnerable to roadside bombs

By contrast, the total death toll for British forces between January and May was 11.

Yesterday's incident was the biggest single loss of life for British troops since September 2006, when 14 personnel were killed when an RAF Nimrod came down near Kandahar.


Enlarge
The deaths take the number of British service personnel who have died in Afghanistan since the start of operations in November 2001 to 106.

Military leaders and analysts had suggested the tide could be turning in the battle against the Taliban before the recent deaths.

Brigadier Mark Carleton-Smith, the commander of British forces in Helmand, claimed that the fight against insurgents was at a 'tipping point'.

He said: 'The Taliban are much weaker. The tide is clearly ebbing, not flowing, for them. Their chain of command is disrupted and they are short of weapons and ammunition.'


Defence Secretary Des Browne announced on Monday that hundreds more British personnel would be deployed to Afghanistan, taking troop numbers to a record high of 8,030 by next spring.

Foreign Secretary David Miliband today praised the 'extraordinary professionalism, bravery and intelligence' of Britain's armed forces.

He said: 'We are in Afghanistan, where there are soldiers, diplomats or aid workers, with a very clear mission to make sure that Afghanistan has its own institution and its own security forces that ensure never again does it become a base for al Qaeda.

'So we are there with a very clear national interest.'




Private Charles David Murray (left), Private Nathan Cuthbertson (centre) and Private Daniel Gamble of 2nd Battalion, were among five paratropers killed in Afghanistan last week

Brigadier General Carlos Branco, a spokesman for the Nato-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, said: 'Our thoughts and sincere condolences are with the family and friends of the brave soldiers who were killed today.

'These soldiers died and were wounded trying to help bring peace and security for the Afghan people.'

News of the four deaths came as Afghan and Canadian troops launched an operation to drive Taliban militants out of villages in southern Afghanistan.

Afghan officials said yesterday that 300 to 400 insurgents were operating in the Arghandab region to the north west of Kandahar city.

Nato spokesman Mark Laity said troops exchanged fire with militants during 'a few minor contacts' early today but there were no immediate reports of casualties.

The Taliban launched their attack on Arghandab three days after freeing 400 of their fighters from Sarposa Prison in Kandahar in a co-ordinated raid.

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Battle lines: Afghan National Army reinforcement troops prepare to board a plane as they fly to Kandahar

Mr Browne denied claims that British troops in Afghanistan could start 'losing heart' after the recent surge in casualties.

He said: 'The military are the people who most understand how important this job is. They have a tremendous and appropriate sense of pride in what they are doing.

'The last 10 days have been extraordinarily difficult for troops, for the families and for those who support them. We have now lost nine soldiers in 10 days and every single one of those losses is a tragedy. I cannot imagine the terrible grief they are going through.'

Sending his condolences to the family, he added: 'This isn't a discretionary task. When the world met in Paris a few days ago there were 80 countries represented. They are all involved in one way or another because we cannot allow this country to become a playground for terrorists again.



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Ready for action: Soldiers from the Afghan army prepare to battle Taliban



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Flying squad: Afghan National Army reinforcement troops board a plane as they prepare to fly to Kandahar

He added: 'I fully understand that people react in an entirely appropriate and human way to casualties and I'm no different than anyone else. I have the same response to that.'

A leading security expert claimed more British troops are being killed in Afghanistan because forces 'failed to get the job done' before the attacks on Iraq.

Paul Rogers, author of a series of books on the war on terror, claimed the Taliban are getting stronger than they have been since the war began.

He claimed the only end to violence would be to open negotiations with less radical members of the militant group.

'That would be downright impossible under a (George) Bush administration,' he added.

Professor Rogers, from the University of Bradford, said the Taliban are resurgent because Europe and the United States have been distracted by Iraq.

He said: 'Clearly there has been a real upsurge recently. But the worst thing of all is that this was anticipated.

'The Taliban are stronger than they have been for years - borders with western Pakistan are very loose, they have more money and, most importantly, they have taken full advantage while US and European forces have been distracted by Iraq.

'For the first time in five or six years there are more coalition forces being killed in Afghanistan than Iraq.

'This is simply because the job did not get done. Afghanistan did not get the help it needed five or six years ago and then the US and Britain took their eyes off the ball.'

He added: 'Almost all colonial wars have only been ended through compromise - and Afghanistan will prove no different.

'I don't believe that will ever happen under a Bush government which sees only military action as the answer. I can only see more and more deaths in the short term.'


First British woman killed in Afghanistan as four soldiers die in secret SAS mission | Mail Online

[john mclaughlin]

Even as the taliban are enjoying their little tet offensive,they are setting themselves up for a much deserved series of airstrikes and mopup.They wont be smiling long.

[Anth]

Typical of the Daily Mail - shouting about a "secret SAS mission" and not caring about OPSEC and PERSEC

One interesting thing to note that points towards it being such a mission though is in the MOD announcement about their deaths (Ministry of Defence | Defence News | Military Operations | Corporal Sarah Bryant, Corporal Sean Reeve, Lance Corporal Richard Larkin and Paul Stout killed in Afghanistan) - theres all about her military service and family life, but only a small paragraph about her team-mates.

[Snowden]

The others are included in this one, Anth. I guess it's natural that the main story is about her as the first woman soldier you all lost.:

'I'm so proud of my hero soldier wife': Husband's tribute to first British woman to die in Afghanistan



By Nicola Boden
Last updated at 3:54 PM on 19th June 2008

The grieving husband of the first British woman to be killed in the Afghanistan conflict today spoke of his pride that she died a hero doing the job she loved.

Corporal Sarah Bryant, 26, was killed alongside three SAS reservists when their Land Rover was shattered by a Taliban roadside bomb during a secret mission.

The reservists were named today as Corporal Sean Robert Reeve, 28, Lance Corporal Richard Larkin, 39, and Paul Stout, 31.

As their families spoke of their own grief, Carl Bryant, who is also a corporal in the army, described his wife as an 'awesome soldier' who knew the risks of her work.

Her father, Des Feely, also paid a fresh tribute, calling her his 'Angel of the North' and likening all four deaths to the fallen soldiers of World War II.

My hero: Corporal Carl Bryant and wife Sarah on their wedding day

Corporal Bryant said: 'Although I am devastated beyond words at the death of my beautiful wife Sarah, I am so incredibly proud of her.

'She was an awesome soldier who died doing the job that she loved. My wife knew the risks, she was there because she wanted to be, and she wouldn't have had it any other way.'



He added: 'She was funny, kind and the most amazing person to be around, I will never stop being thankful for the time I spent as her husband.

'I love her now and always, with all my heart, as do her proud parents, friends and family.

'My wife was a truly special person who died a hero. Sarah, as with all our fallen, must never be forgotten.'

His tribute came as Corporal Bryant's family released pictures of her throughout her short life - from when she was a young child right through to the day she got married.

They show her enjoying jokes with her father on Christmas Day, posing with her horse and smiling broadly from the cockpit of a light aircraft.

Cheeky: Sarah, aged 7, poses for the camera in the cockpit of a plane and below with her pet horse Monty



The soldier's mother, Maureen, also spoke for the first time today, hailing her daughter as someone 'beautiful, wonderful and brave' who had paid the ultimate price.

She said: 'Carl was very proud of her because of the life that she was doing. Being a woman in a male-dominated environment, she gave it her all.

'She gave it everything and she paid the ultimate price for that, but I'm so, so proud of what she's done and what she achieved. I just hope everybody remembers her the way that she was.'

Her husband evoked the words of Winston Churchill as he too recalled the sacrifice his daughter and her comrades had made.

Grief-stricken: Maureen Feely today as she speaks of her daughter's death

He said nothing much had changed since the days of the famous speech made by the wartime prime minister.

At his home in Cumbria, he said: 'There are so many people both in the military and locally where she grew up that are not only going to be touched by this but also devastated at the loss of such a beautiful girl.

'Nothing much seems to have changed since the days of Churchill's famous speech. Never have so many owed so much to so few. We truly have lost the "Angel of the North". God bless to Sarah.'

Heartbroken: Corporal Bryant's father Des Feely today.
He last spoke to his daughter on Father's Day

Of the bombers, he simply said: 'I really hope these people are proud of what they have done. They have blown her to smithereens.'

Corporal Bryant last visited her home in Cotehill, near Carlisle, several weeks ago and had been due to return from Afghanistan at the end of next month.

Poignantly, the last time she spoke to her father was on Sunday to wish him a happy Fathers' Day.

He said: 'She said it was the first time I had had a Father's Day call from Afghanistan and as it turned out it was the last.'

She had e-mailed him since to let him know her husband was being promoted to sergeant, he added.

Her tour in Afghanistan was the first time Corporal Bryant and her husband had not been posted abroad together since they married in 2005.

Mr Feely said: 'The Army made every effort to post them out together. Sarah did two tours in Iraq. This latest tour in Afghanistan was the first time they had not been posted together.

'I think that was a blessing in disguise. Carl is being fantastically stoical. I don't know how he's dealing with it.'


His daughter had been an 'absolute angel all her life' for him and for her mother, Maureen, he continued.

'She was incredibly bubbly and would light up any room she would walk into. She was always smiling.'

Daddy's girl: Des Feely and his daughter joke around on Christmas Day

Sarah, a 'keen rider', had wanted to be a vet as a child but ultimately decided it was 'too much stress and exams'.

It was only after an Army careers officer visited her school that she set her heart on a career in the forces.

Mr Feely said: 'She strived to get the best qualifications while at school to get a successful entry level into the Army.

'Once she was inside the Army, she had the route planned out that she wanted to take well in advance. It was unbelievable.'

At first, he admits, he was worried about her serving on the front line but was reassured at the 'level of professionalism' of the organisation she was going into.

'Her main role (in Afghanistan) given the 13th century attitude of that part of the world was the searching and interrogating of female prisoners, eliminating any danger to them.

'The children there all knew her and called her by her first name on a daily basis,' he said.

The four victims: Corporal Bryant, Paul Stout (centre) and Corporal Sean Robert Reeve (right). Lance Corporal Richard Larkin was also killed

The Ministry of Defence said today that the officer, who had also served twice in Iraq, 'doted' on her husband of two years.

She joined the army in 2002 and ultimately became a member of the 15 (United Kingdom) Psychological Operations Group based in Chicksands, Bedfordshire.

Her commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Jim Suggit, said: 'Sarah had the brightest future ahead of her, both in her career - where she had been pre-selected for promotion - and her personal life.

Fulfilled: A beaming Corporal Bryant on duty in Afghanistan

'She was a beautiful young woman and also an utterly professional, extremely adept PSYOPS operator, who was highly regarded by all who knew her. She had previously served in Iraq and had prepared fully for her Afghan task, both physically and mentally.

'She had courage, passion and flair for the role she was undertaking, engaging with the people of Helmand Province and trying to give them hope and confidence that they might eventually enjoy peace, progress and prosperity.

'I will miss her delightful charm, her sharp mind, her gentle humour, our close comradeship and seeing her take the many wonderful opportunities life would have presented.

'We mourn her, we salute her and we will remember the sparkle she brought to us all. She will live eternally in our thoughts and be ever named in our prayers.'

Officer Commanding the Psychological Operations Support Element (PSE), Lieutenant Commander Shamus MacLean, Royal Navy, said: 'Cpl Bryant was a dedicated soldier who never ceased to push herself in pursuit of her objectives and was courageous in the face of adversity.

'Her courage is testament to the work that we are conducting here in Afghanistan. Ours is a difficult task and as part of the larger task force we are clear in our own minds what must be done.'

His second-in-command, Flt Lt Jim Hollingworth, said: 'Sarah was the life and soul of the PSE. An individual with so much potential, she was incredibly ambitious and she had high hopes for the future.


'The smile on her face never faded and she was renowned for her networking ability. She was an unforgettable colleague who will be sorely missed.'



Family fun: Sarah as a girl on a beach holiday

Corporal Bryant and her comrades died on Tuesday afternoon during a mission in Lashkar Gar.

Their deaths took the toll for the past 10 days alone to nine after five paratroopers were killed last week. The overall total British loss for the conflict is now 106.

Cpl Reeve's family described him as 'a dearly loved son, brother, godparent, uncle, grandson and friend, who was loving, loyal, honourable, selfless and gentle, a pillar of strength that all could turn to'.

'Sean's professionalism and determination for all that he did was an inspiration to all that were fortunate to have known him,' they said.

L/Cpl Larkin's family described him as a 'beloved husband, father, son and brother whose tragic and untimely death will be deeply mourned by his family, friends and colleagues'.

Mr Stout's family said: 'Paul was a loving father and devoted husband.

'He was a wonderful son and brother and will be greatly missed by all his family and friends. Our lives will be changed forever by this loss.




'I'm so proud of my hero soldier wife': Husband's tribute to first British woman to die in Afghanistan | Mail Online

[Woodmonkey]

Originally Posted by Anth

... theres all about her military service and family life, but only a small paragraph about her team-mates.

Almost as if they didn't count as much. We had the same thing with Jessica Lynch.