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Soldiers killed in Helmand named Tributes paid to 'brave' soldiers
(about 1 hour later)
Two British soldiers killed in an explosion while on foot patrol in Afghanistan have been named as Cpl Lee Brownson and Rifleman Luke Farmer. Tributes have been paid to the bravery of two British soldiers from 3rd Battalion The Rifles who were killed while on foot patrol in Afghanistan.
The men, from 3rd Battalion The Rifles, died in the blast from an improvised explosive device near Sangin in Helmand province on Friday. Cpl Lee Brownson, 30, originally from Bishop Auckland, Co Durham, was an "all-action hero", company commander Maj Tim Harris said.
Lt Col David Wakefield praised the men's "boldness in the face of danger". And Rifleman Luke Farmer, 19, from Pontefract, West Yorkshire, "saved many lives" searching for explosive devices.
The deaths take the number of UK personnel killed since 2001 when operations began in Afghanistan to 249. The men died in an explosion near Sangin in Helmand province on Friday.
Their deaths take the number of UK personnel killed since 2001, when operations began in Afghanistan, to 249.
'Resilience and bravery'
Maj Harris said Cpl Brownson, who was due to become a father for the third time, was "truly phenomenal" and "outstandingly brave".
"He was loved by his men; they all wanted to be just like him, their hero.
It is certain that he saved many lives - British and Afghan - through his sheer resilience and bravery Lt Palmer Winstanley pays tribute to Rifleman Luke Farmer
"If there was a fight to be had, he was always at the front," he said.
"On one occasion, like the all-action hero he was, he was hit by a piece of shrapnel in his shoulder, but refused medical treatment, dealing with it in the morning once the enemy had gone."
Rifleman Farmer was "mature beyond his years", his platoon commander, Lt Palmer Winstanley, said.
"He had a real depth of character," he added. "He was confident, strong and kind. He was a quiet man with a quick wit."
Lt Winstanley said the 19-year-old had "stepped up to the mark as our lead man, responsible for finding improvised explosive devices with a metal detector".
"This is an incredible undertaking for anyone, and it is certain that he saved many lives - British and Afghan - through his sheer resilience and bravery."