Six British soldiers killed in southern Afghanistan during a bloody period of fighting have been named.
Corporal Jonathan Horne, Rifleman William Aldridge, Rifleman James Backhouse, Rifleman Joseph Murphy and Rifleman Daniel Simpson, from the 2nd Battalion The Rifles were killed near Sangin, Helmand province, while Corporal Lee Scott, 26, from the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment, died in an explosion near Nad-e-Ali.
Rifleman Murphy, from Castle Bromwich, West Midlands, Rifleman Aldridge, from Bromyard, Herefordshire, and Rifleman Backhouse, from Castleford, West Yorkshire, were aged just 18.
Several members of the group killed near Sangin died in a second explosion while helping comrades injured in a previous blast on Friday.
Rifleman Murphy was attempting to carry Rifleman Simpson, 20, from Croydon, south London, to safety after he was wounded in the first explosion.
Corporal Horne, 28, from Walsall, and Rifleman Aldridge were killed trying to help casualties from the first explosion. Rifleman Backhouse was trying to clear a route for his comrades when he died in a blast.
Lieutenant Colonel Robert Thomson, commanding officer of the 2 Riffles Battle Group, said it had been a "grim day" but he added: "They lived and fought alongside us and tonight our lives are much worse for them not being here. But we can celebrate what they were and what they achieved. We are so very proud of them."
