In a morale-boosting visit to his country's soldiers posted to Afghanistan, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown visited their military base in Helmand province Thursday, and hailed them as "the heroes of our country."
Addressing soldiers from 16 Air Assault Brigade, he said, "You know that by what you are doing here, you prevent terrorism coming to the streets of Britain."
Brown's surprise visit to the terror-stricken country on his way to the Olympics in Beijing is prompted by the recurring deaths of NATO soldiers, including a British corporal, in Taliban attacks.
He spent 90 minutes at Camp Bastion and visited a field hospital where he spoke to six injured soldiers.
Later, he held talks in Kabul with Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
Brown also held a joint press conference with Karzai, and said the deaths had been a tragedy but the events had only made them "even more resolute to defeat the forces of terrorism."
He pledged more resources for training the Afghan national army, improving local and national government administration, and improving education in the country.
The visiting British Prime Minister also announced a financial support of £17 million ($32 million) to launch a radio station in Afghanistan to counter the Taliban's propaganda.
With the death of Corporal Barry Dempsey, who was killed by a roadside bomb in Helmand Monday, the number of British soldiers died in combat in Afghanistan since 2001 rose to 116.
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