Two marines killed in Afghanistan are named

LONDON (Reuters) - The Ministry of Defence on Friday named two British servicemen killed in a Taliban attack in southern Afghanistan as Tony Evans and Georgie Sparks, both of J Company, 42 Commando Royal Marines.

Evans, 20, and Sparks, 19, were on foot patrol in Helmand Province, a volatile region of Afghanistan, when they came under attack from a group of insurgents armed with rocket-propelled grenades on Thursday.

The two soldiers were badly wounded and died as they were being flown back to base by helicopter.

Evans, from Sunderland, and Sparks, from Epping in Essex, had both joined 42 Commando in July last year.

Defence Secretary John Hutton said he was deeply saddened by their deaths, which took the number of British troops killed in the conflict since it began in late 2001 to 128.

"It is clear that both were brave and highly professional young men who died doing a job they were passionate about," Hutton said.

Britain has around 8,300 troops based in Afghanistan, most of them stationed in Helmand, a vast desert province where the Taliban remain strong.

The Taliban have stepped up attacks against U.S., British and other foreign forces this year, carrying out more attacks than in any year since the U.S.-led invasion following the September 11 attacks on the United States in 2001.

(Reporting by Tim Castle)