The platoon of 12 soldiers from the 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment had spotted the Afghan man up ahead as they returned from a patrol to their remote operating base, known as Inkerman, north of Sangin in Helmand province. He was acting oddly, and Private Daniel Gamble, one of the regiment’s small number of Pashtu speakers, approached him.

As he began to ask him what he was doing, the man reached under his cloak and detonated a concealed explosive vest, killing Private Gamble instantly and fatally wounding two other members of the patrol.

The suicide bomber would not have been counting but his action brought the death toll for British troops in Afghanistan to 100.

The explosion was seen by other members of 2 Para inside the Inkerman forward operating base (FOB) which is a reinforced camp surrounded by high, makeshift ramparts, overlooking the fertile Sangin Valley on one side and desert on the other.

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Yesterday the Ministry of Defence named the three latest victims of the Taleban’s new tactic of targeting the British troops with asymmetric warfare, using roadside bombs, mines and suicide bombers. Two of them were still teenagers.

The three soldiers were Private Gamble, 22, the linguist of 4 Platoon, B Company 2 Para, Private Nathan Cuthbertson, 19, a machinegunner and infantry assault engineer with the same platoon, and their patrol comrade, Private David Murray, 19, a rifleman and assault engineer.

All British troops engaged in daily patrols in Helmand are warned to be on the lookout for stereotypical suicide bombers – usually shaven, young, wearing padded clothing and appearing nervous.

The latest bomber fitted some of the characteristics, which underlines the bravery of Private Gamble who went forward first to try to communicate with the man standing a few yards ahead of the patrol. It was 11am, the soldiers had been out for several hours and they were less than a mile from FOB Inkerman.

“They knew the risks, and in facing them today as they had done every day before, they demonstrated the clear, cold courage which is the hallmark of their comrades and their regiment,” Lieutenant-Colonel Joe O’Sullivan, the combat-experienced commanding officer of 2 Para, said yesterday.

He added: “They died doing their duty and doing their best, taking care with a potential threat, but also understanding the importance of connecting to the people around them.”

The anguish of the families of the three dead soldiers was summed up by a statement put out last night by the parents of Private Murray, who was born in Dumfries but grew up in Carlisle. “David was the best son, brother, grandson, nephew, cousin and friend that any of us could hope for. Although his time with us was short, he lived every second to the full and taught us the meaning of life.”

They added: “David always dreamed of being a soldier like his uncle, papa and grandad. He made us proud everyday in everything he did.

He was the little guy with the big heart . . . and had the biggest, cheekiest grin.”

All commanding officers who have served in Afghanistan have emphasised that the young soldiers under their command have performed with exceptional courage, endurance and professionalism. Of the 100 who have died in Afghanistan since 2001, 6 per cent have been aged between 17 and a half and 19, and 65 per cent have been in their 20s. The average age is 27.

Of Private Cuthbertson, who was born in Sunderland in January 1989 and began his military career aged 16, Lieutenant David True, his platoon commander, said: “Private Cuthbertson loved his platoon and worked tirelessly on its behalf, nowhere more so than in Afghanistan.

“When volunteers were required, his was always the first hand to go up. He was a brilliant soldier and a great man.”

Private Murray also began his military career early after leaving school at 16. As his parents indicated in their statement, his slight stature belied his fitness and robustness. He was a passionate rugby league player.

Slightly older, at 22, Private Gamble, who grew up in Uckfield, East Sussex, had been selected to learn Pashtu after proving, along with nine other soldiers from 2 Para, to have an aptitude for the language.

Although the version of Pashtu jars somewhat with the local dialects, the presence of British soldiers in Helmand province with a good grasp of the language has impressed the Afghans. In a eulogy, the MoD said that Private Gamble’s skill and charisma “ensured he was always at the forefront of any patrol”.

His parents said: “Dan was special because he had trained in the Afghan Pashtu language. He was special to his family and friends, a true hero in every sense.”

After the death toll was confirmed by the MoD, Gordon Brown paid tribute to the 100 British troops who had died in Afghanistan.

“They have paid the ultimate price but they have achieved something of lasting value, helping turn a lawless region sheltering terrorists into an emerging democracy,” he said yesterday.

He added: “I do not believe democracy in Afghanistan would have survived without Nato and UN support – and British forces have been on the front line of that international effort, and have acquitted themselves with great bravery and professionalism.”

Brigadier Mark Carleton-Smith, head of Britain’s Task Force Helmand and commander of 16 Air Assault Brigade, said the 100th death was an “unwanted milestone” and a “tragic reminder of the human price” British Forces were paying.

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