Britské síly zaznamenaly další tři ztráty v Afghánistánu, čímž se počet padlých Britů vyšplhal k deseti za posledních deset dnů. Britské ministerstvo obrany totiž oznámilo, že v Hílmandu ve čtvrtek zahynuli při dvou incidentech dva vojáci:
In the first incident, a soldier from 4th Battalion The Rifles was killed in a contact explosion. The incident took place whilst he was on a foot patrol near Nad e-Ali, Helmand province, on the afternoon of 9 July 2009. In a second incident, a soldier from The Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment attached to 1st Battalion Welsh Guards was killed as a result of a gunshot wound. The incident took place as part of Operation PANCHAI PALANG (Panther’s Claw) in an engagement with insurgent forces near Lashkar Gah, Helmand province, on the evening of 9 July 2009.
V dalším prohlášení ministerstvo oznámilo, že dnes zahynul voják z 2. Královského tankového regimentu:
The soldier was killed as a result of an explosion that happened during a deliberate operation near Nad-e-Ali, central Helmand province this morning.
Podle listu The Daily Telegraph tak britské ztráty v Afghánistánu dosáhly výše ztrát v Iráku. Od roku 2001 zemřelo v Afghánistánu 179 britských vojáků. V Iráku zemřel stejný počet vojáků od března 2003 do dubna letošního roku.
Eight of the 10 most recent fatalities came during Operation Panchai Palang, or Panther’s Claw, a major British assault against the Taliban in Helmand ahead of next month’s Afghan elections. Some 3,000 troops are involved in the operation, which began on June 19 and has seen fierce fighting and significant casualties on both sides.