Afghan conflict has now claimed lives of as many British servicemen and women as that in Iraq after MoD announces third casualty in 24 hours

The conflict in Afghanistan has now claimed the lives of as many British servicemen and women as that in Iraq after the Ministry of Defence announced today that another soldier had been killed.

Ten servicemen have died within the last nine days and the casualty rate is as high as at any point since Afghanistan was invaded in 2001 in response to the 9/11 terror attacks on the US.

The latest casualty – the third to be announced today – was a soldier from the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment. He was killed in southern Afghanistan, the MoD said. Next of kin have been informed.

Officials said the soldier was killed in an explosion during an operation near Nad-e-Ali, in central Helmand province.

“The loss of this brave Tankie has hit us all deeply,” Lieutenant Colonel Nick Richardson, a spokesman for Task Force Helmand, said.

“We grieve for him at this very sad time. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and colleagues who feel the greatest loss. His loss has not been in vain.”

The death is likely to intensify the debate about whether the Afghanistan operation is worthwhile.

Ministers still strongly insist that the deployment is vital for British security, but the Liberal Democrat leader, Nick Clegg, this week questioned whether the government had “the will, strategy or tactics” to do the job properly.

Gordon Brown will go straight to the Northwood headquarters of the armed forces in Middlesex for a private briefing on Afghanistan with military chiefs when he returns to Britain from the G8 summit in Italy.

Speaking at the end the talks today, before the latest casualties were formally announced, the prime minister said that it was “vital” that the British mission succeeded.

He also robustly denied claims by General Lord Guthrie, the former head of the armed forces, that soldiers were dying because the military was short of money.

Earlier, the MoD announced that two soldiers had been killed in Afghanistan yesterday.

One of the men, from 4th Battalion the Rifles, was killed in an explosion while on a foot patrol near Nad-e-Ali.

The other, from the Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment attached to 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, died from a gunshot wound following a battle with insurgents near Lashkar Gah, also in Helmand.

The latest casualties take the Afghanistan death toll to 179, equalling the total number killed in Iraq.

“This tragic milestone must be a reminder to all of us of the huge sacrifices made day after day by our brave servicemen and women and their families,” Clegg said.

“The courage and professionalism of our armed forces are second to none.

“We must never forget the massive debt we owe to those who have paid the ultimate price to ensure we can live in safety.”

The war in Afghanistan, where the British are fighting with other Nato countries to stop Taliban fundamentalists regaining control of the country, has had the backing of all the main political parties as well as the general support of the public.

But ministers are worried that, with the death toll rising and no prospect of an end to the campaign in sight, public opinion could turn.

Brown said: “This is a very hard summer, and it is not over yet.

“It is vital that we see this through. Our resolution to complete the work that we have started in Afghanistan and Pakistan is undiminished.

“It’s in tribute to the members of the armed forces that have given their lives that we should succeed in the efforts that we have begun.”

The prime minister said it was vital the Taliban were pushed back in Helmand province and al-Qaida thwarted across the border in Pakistan.

“We can’t allow the borders of Afghanistan to be lawless places,” he said. “The streets of Britain are safer places as a result of the armed forces’ work in Afghanistan.

“Our job is to secure a stable and democratic Afghanistan.”

Brown also spoke of the “sadness” he felt about young soldiers who were “incredibly professional” and “very courageous” losing their lives.

“My sympathy goes out to every one of the families who have suffered the pain of losing a loved one,” he said.

Bernard Jenkin, a member of the defence select committee, said: “It is astonishing that we are fighting high intensity operations the scale of Afghanistan on a peacetime budget without enough protection mobility and with fewer helicopters per head for armed forces than we had three years ago.”

Guthrie was quoted in the Mail today as saying the Treasury had spent “the minimum they could get away with” on defence.

He said fewer soldiers would be dying if commanders on the ground had more troops and more equipment.

“I spoke to an officer the other day who said that the Treasury had affected the operational safety of our soldiers, by preventing an uplift in our numbers,” Guthrie added.

“As far as helicopters are concerned, of course they need more helicopters. If they had more, it is very likely that fewer soldiers would have been killed by roadside bombs.”

Guthrie blamed Brown directly for the state of MoD funding.

“It is an indication of the unsympathetic view the chancellor of the day [Brown] and the Treasury had of defence when Britain went into southern Afghanistan in 2006,” he said.

“They were prepared to give very large amounts of money to other departments, but the minimum they could get away with to defence.”

When asked about Guthrie’s comments, Brown said the troops in Afghanistan had twice as much helicopter capacity as they did two years ago.

“We have spent over £1bn on vehicles,” he added.

News of the latest casualties came as the bodies of another five British servicemen killed in Afghanistan over the past week – four in Operation Panchai Palang – were returned to the UK.

Bob Ainsworth, the defence secretary, acknowledged this week that there was “gloom and worry” about the British fatalities and admitted more lives would be lost.

But he insisted morale was high in Afghanistan and said it would be a “good thing” for Clegg to talk to some UK troops.

Around 3,000 troops are involved in the British-led Operation Panchai Palang, which began on 19 June and has seen fierce fighting and significant casualties on both sides.