LONDON - Prime Minister Gordon Brown paid tribute to troops serving in Afghanistan Sunday, a day after the British death toll in the conflict reached 100.
Three British soldiers died in a suicide attack Sunday in Afghanistan's Upper Sangin Valley.
"I want to pay tribute to the courage of all the 100 British troops who have given their lives in Afghanistan in the service of their country,'' Brown said.
"The risks they bear and the sacrifices they make should be in our thoughts, not just today but every day.
"They have paid the ultimate price, but they have achieved something of lasting value -- helping turn a lawless region sheltering terrorists into an emerging democracy.''
Britain has about 7,300 soldiers in southern Afghanistan, fighting alongside U.S., Canadian, Dutch, and local Afghan forces.
The head of Britain's armed forces, Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup, and British Defence Secretary Des Browne released a joint statement on Sunday, insisting their forces were beating back the Taliban.
"Every one of those deaths is a tragedy,'' Stirrup said. "Nothing can ever compensate for the loss felt by their loved ones and to them all I extend my deepest sympathies.''
Then he added: "Make no mistake, the Taliban influence is waning, and through British blood, determination and grit, a window of opportunity has been opened.''
