UK News 27-11-2001 Four SAS Soldiers Wounded As War Enters Bloody Endgame who: The SAS what: Suffer first UK casualties in gun battle where: Kunduz, Afghanistan when: Yesterday snippet: "Four SAS men wounded in a gunfight with the Taleban were flown home from Afghanistan yesterday as the 50-day-old war entered its bloody endgame," reports today`s Times. "The heroes, who killed some of the warlord`s key lieutenants, are the first British casualties of the conflict," reports the Sun in its customary patriotic style, before noting that "One is the SON of a soldier who was killed serving with the crack Who Dares Wins regiment in the Falklands War." The Sun quotes an MoD official as saying: "Those injured played a vital role in a complex and important operation. We are obviously concerned that they were injured, but you can safely say we are very happy with the outcome of the operation. It was a success." The SAS has been on the ground in Afghanistan for more than a month, writes Damien McElroy in the Telegraph, "operating with its US counterparts in the hunt for Osama bin Laden and helping to co-ordinate attacks by opposition Afghan groups on Taliban positions." Meanwhile as US forces introduce the Marines to strengthen manpower in Afghanistan ready for what they hope will be the war`s final stages, UK forces were being stood down, explains the Independent. "The MoD said all but about 400 of the 6,000 British troops on stand-by to go to Afghanistan were being taken off 48 hours` notice status." The Telegraph report reveals that the Government`s plans to deploy troops "were put on hold after alliance commanders angrily insisted that they did not need foreign troops to police their country." Defence minister Geoff Hoon said 16 Air Assault Brigade and a company of 2 Bn, the Parachute Regiment, remained on 48 hours` notice to move. [... more]

What The Papers Say is delivered to thousands of readers every morning by web, WAP and email. Sign up today!