The Welsh Guards have now lost five soldiers in just over two months of fighting the Taleban in southern Afghanistan, the highest toll of any regiment since 19 Light Brigade took over from the Royal Marines in April.

The fifth member of the Household Division regiment to die was killed on Sunday while taking part in Operation Panther’s Claw, the offensive against the Taleban launched by British troops two weeks ago. The operation has claimed the lives of six soldiers.

The impact of the deaths on the Welsh Guards has been exacerbated by the loss of its commanding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Rupert Thorneloe, and one of the company commanders, Major Sean Birchall. Steps are being taken to appoint a replacement for Colonel Thorneloe. His successor is expected to be a former commanding officer of the Welsh Guards. Other members of 19 Light Brigade involved in Operation Panther’s Claw have also been hit by rising casualties. They include two from the Light Dragoons, two from the 2nd Battalion The Mercian Regiment, and three from the Black Watch, 3rd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland.

With the death of the fifth member of the Welsh Guards, the rising casualty toll is set to make this year the worst since the campaign began in southern Afghanistan in 2006. Thirty-seven have been killed so far, compared with 51 in the whole of 2008, 42 in 2007 and 39 in 2006.

Defence sources said there were no current moves to try to persuade Downing Street and the Treasury to send more troops to Helmand. General Sir Richard Dannatt, the head of the Army, backed by John Hutton, then the Defence Secretary, recommended that another 2,000 troops should be sent to boost the British military force in the province.

The recommendation was turned down and, instead, 700 soldiers of 4 Rifles were sent to provide extra firepower for the presidential election period. Defence sources said the intention was to try to keep the 700 extra soldiers in Helmand after the election was over. The battalion is currently based in Nadi-e-Ali in central Helmand. It relieved the Welsh Guards so that the Household Division regiment could take part in Operation Panther’s Claw.

The two soldiers killed in Helmand on Saturday were named by the Ministry of Defence yesterday as Lance Corporal David Dennis, 29, of the Light Dragoons, and Private Robert Laws, 18, of the 2nd Battalion The Mercian Regiment.

The latest deaths took the number of service personnel killed in Afghanistan since the start of operations in October 2001 to 174.

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