A new brigade and commander have taken over UK
military operations in Helmand, after the bloodiest tour 
since the
mission began eight years ago.
The 19 Light Brigade is returning home, having lost 70 men during six months of fighting the Taliban.
They have been replaced by 11 Light Brigade, which has been formed specifically for Helmand.
The new brigade is smaller than the one it replaces, meaning some troops have had to extend their tour in Helmand.
The
new brigade includes units from across the UK, and will be made up of
the Household Cavalry, the 1st Battalion the Grenadier Guards, the 1st
Battalion the Royal Welsh, 2nd Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment, the
3rd Battalion the Rifles, and the 1 Royal Horse Artillery.
It will also include a specialist counter-IED taskforce to help guard against improvised explosive devices.
Reconstruction aims
The
new commander of Task Force Helmand, Brigadier James Cowan, took over
from Brigadier Tim Radford in a simple ceremony at the British
headquarters in Lashkar Gah just before 0800 BST.
Several of Brigadier Radford's soldiers died during Operation Panther's Claw ahead of the Afghan elections in August.
Two soldiers from the new brigade have already been killed during the past week.
BBC
defence correspondent Caroline Wyatt says that Brigadier Cowan led his
old regiment, the Black Watch, in one of the most dangerous areas of
Iraq four years ago, and his forces here will try to move the emphasis
away from fighting, towards more reconstruction and winning the support
of Afghan civilians.
The UK civilian head of the mission in
Helmand - diplomat Hugh Powell, who is in charge of the provincial
reconstruction team - also handed over to his successor.
source:bbc news
