The Guardian newspaper, citing unnamed political sources, said Britain would soon withdraw its 1,000 soldiers from the Sangin district of Helmand province, where they would be replaced by U.S. troops who now outnumber them in Helmand.[break]
Sangin, a valley in the north of the province, has been one of the deadliest areas for British forces, accounting for about a third of the 312 British dead in the nine-year-old war.
The Ministry of Defense declined to comment on the report, saying only that Britain fully supports commanders of the NATO-led troops when allocating forces. A U.S. Marine two-star general is now in command in Helmand.
Defense Secretary Liam Fox is expected to make an announcement on changes to the deployment of British forces in Afghanistan in parliament on Wednesday.
The military has described Sangin as possibly the most challenging area of Afghanistan for British forces.
Nearly all of Britain´s 9,500 troops in the country are based in Helmand, scene of the Afghan war´s worst fighting.
British forces account for about a third of foreign troops in Helmand, but are responsible for protecting a larger share of the province´s population. The withdrawal of British troops from Sangin would help redress the imbalance.
British troops have already turned over other mountain valleys in Helmand to U.S. Marines who arrived in large numbers in the province last year. More U.S. forces are moving into southern Afghanistan as part of surge strategy that will bring the number of foreign troops in the country to 150,000.
Earlier on Tuesday, British Foreign Secretary William Hague said British troops in Afghanistan will have withdrawn from any combat role within five years.
Concerns about the costly U.S.-dominated Afghan mission have mounted as governments slash spending to rein in budget deficits and as the death toll has risen. June was the deadliest month for foreign troops since the conflict began.
Related story
India deploys troops to curb violent protests over citizenship...
