British soldiers killed in Afghanistan named

LONDON (Reuters) - Two British soldiers killed in separate incidents in Afghanistan were named by the Ministry of Defence on Monday.

The men both died near Gereshk in central Helmand Province on Saturday while taking part in a U.S.-led operation against Taliban strongholds before national elections.

They were Lance Corporal David Dennis, 29, of The Light Dragoons, and Private Robert Laws, 18, of 2nd Battalion The Mercian Regiment.

"These two men were highly regarded by their comrades and commanders, and their deaths remind us of the ferocious conditions endured daily by our soldiers in Afghanistan, and the great gravity of what we are doing there," said Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth.

The men were among five solders killed over five days during the offensive.

On Sunday, a soldier from the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards was killed by a blast, also near Gereshk.

The latest death raised the number of British troops to have died to 174 since Britain joined the United States and other countries in invading Afghanistan in 2001.

Two other British troops were killed in the area on Wednesday. One of them, Lieutenant Colonel Rupert Thorneloe, was the highest ranking British soldier to be killed in the conflict in Afghanistan.

Thousands of U.S. and British forces have launched a large-scale operation in southern Afghanistan to try to drive the Taliban back and retake territory in the biggest offensive since U.S. President Barack Obama assumed office in January.

(Reporting by Tim Castle; Editing by Steve Addison)