British prime minister Gordon Brown made his first visit to Afghanistan since becoming prime minister today and told troops the battle against the Taliban was vital to defeat terrorism.
Britain has some 7,700 troops in Afghanistan, the largest foreign force after the United States, and has borne the brunt of some of the fiercest fighting in the country as its soldiers combat Taliban insurgents in the southern province of Helmand.
Mr Brown visited Camp Bastion, the biggest British base in Helmand, some 60 miles (100 km) away from where British and Afghan forces are engaged in a big offensive to seize the Taliban's most important stronghold, the town of Musa Qala.
"I want to thank you for what you have done in what is the front line against the Taliban," Mr Brown told the troops. "This is one of the most challenging environments, it's one of the most difficult tasks, it is the most testing of times and it's one of the most important of missions.
"To win here and defeat the Taliban and to make sure we can give strength to the new democracy of Afghanistan is important in defeating terrorism all around the world," he told several hundred troops circled around him at the dusty desert base.
Mr Brown, who replaced Tony Blair as prime minister in June, is due to make a statement to parliament on Wednesday setting out changes in policy towards Afghanistan expected to include a bigger stress on economic development.
Afghan army troops entered Musa Qala today, the fourth day of a large offensive to recapture the town which began when mainly British troops surrounded it on Friday.
Afghan and coalition forces then raided compounds targeting people associated with the weapons supplier and killed several more militants, detained 10 more and wounded two civilians.
Meanwhile, an Afghan army helicopter crashed in the Sayedabad district of Wardak province southwest of the capital Kabul today, killing four soldiers, an army commander at the scene said. He said it was most likely a technical problem, but the Taliban said they had shot down the aircraft.