TWO SAS soldiers were killed in a midnight ambush in southern Afghanistan during an hour-long firefight with the Taleban, which ended only after an RAF Harrier and an army Apache attack helicopter bombarded hostile positions.

The battle erupted on Monday as an undercover unit of SAS soldiers was operating on the outskirts of Sangin in the northern part of Helmand province. The unit came under sustained fire, and as the special forces troops took up defensive positions, they called for back-up. The soldiers who were killed were on foot.

Defence sources said that a quick-reaction force from 7 Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery arrived in Land Rovers, equipped with 105mm light artillery. The rescue force also came under fire and one of its Land Rovers was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade.

Last night the Ministry of Defence would not release either the names of the soldiers or confirm their regiment until next of kin had been informed. A third soldier was seriously wounded.

As part of the back-up, a Harrier GR7 and an Apache attack helicopter provided air support, targeting Taleban positions, and the 105mm light guns were also used. The deployment of air power and artillery underlined the scale of the ambush and the determination of the British to seize control of Sangin, which military sources described as “a toxic mixture” of Taleban and drug traffickers.

While these are the first members of the SAS believed to have been killed in Afghanistan, the British Army has now lost three of its soldiers in the Sangin area since deploying to Helmand a few weeks ago. Captain James Philippson of 7 Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery was the first to be killed in Sangin. He was shot while trying to rescue colleagues from an ambush two weeks ago. Ten have been killed in Afghanistan since the British were first deployed there, in November 2001.

The Taleban, who, it is believed, lost several fighters in the attack on Monday, immediately claimed responsibility for the deaths, with Qari Mohammed Yousaf, its purported spokesman, telling the Reuters news agency that his fighters carried out the ambush.

Des Browne, the Defence Secretary, offered his deepest condolences to the families of the latest victims. He had hinted that it was a special forces operation when he said that the soldiers were not part of the Helmand battle group.

The district of Sangin, in the mountainous north of the province, is known to be a hotbed of Taleban activity. The steep valley sides provide ideal places from which to launch ambushes. The area has no roads, only dusty tracks, and Taleban fighters know the terrain well.

The British were airlifted in by Chinook helicopters from Camp Bastion, the main British base, only weeks ago and are still learning the terrain. Movements are hampered by sweltering heat, of about 45C (113F).

The troops are particularly vulnerable to rocket attacks and roadside bombs because the armoured Land Rovers that they drive were designed for Northern Ireland and offer only light Kevlar protection. However, military sources emphasised that “no one died inside a Land Rover” on Monday.

In other violence, two Afghan soldiers and 11 Taleban rebels were killed in fighting 20 miles north of Sangin in the town of Musa Qala. In the province of Uruzgan, which borders Helmand, a further ten militants were killed after their compound was stormed by coalition and Afghan forces.

In Ghazni province police and Taleban clashed, leaving three militants dead. A suicide attack targeting a German military convoy in the province of Kunduz killed two Afghan civilians as well as the bomber.

BRITISH FORCES IN AFGHANISTAN

• There are 3,300 troops of 16 Air Assault Brigade — which includes 3rd Battalion The Parachute Regiment — and eight Apache helicopters, at Lashkar Gah, Helmand province
  
  
• 1,000 troops are in Kabul with the HQ staff of Nato’s International Security Assistance Force
  
  
• 200 RAF personnel with six Harrier GR7 bombers are in Kandahar
  
  
• Total military presence: about 5,000, including Royal Engineers building Camp Bastion, the main base in Helmand province
  
  
• Total casualties: ten since November 2001. Five have died from hostile action
  

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