The Queen and David Cameron have led tributes to the 453 British servicemen and women killed in Afghanistan, during a ceremonial end to the 13-year military operation. The monarch, accompanied by senior members of the Royal Family, attended a service at St Paul's Cathedral in central London, where 2,000 military personnel gathered to honour the war dead and veterans.
The Prime Minister sat alongside Nick Clegg and Ed Miliband, while a simultaneous service was held in Afghanistan for the troops who remain. Additional ceremonies took place at military bases and churches across the UK, as well as in Germany.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, paid tribute to those who lost their lives and to the families and support groups they left behind. He blessed a cross made of shell casings, which was on a memorial wall in Camp Bastion, the main allied base in Afghanistan. The cross will now move to the Royal British Legion's national memorial arboretum in Staffordshire.
The Dean of St Paul's, the Rev Dr David Ison, commemorated "with sorrow and regret" those killed and asked for prayers for the "nation of Afghanistan". Pte Josh Campbell, who lost both legs in Helmand in 2009, met the Queen after the ceremony, describing it as a "very special and very nerve-racking moment". He said it was sombre remembering the men and friends he lost.
UK forces joined the US-led coalition that invaded Afghanistan in 2001, following the 9/11 attacks. At the height of the campaign, the UK had 9,500 troops and 137 bases in Helmand province. The last UK base was handed over in October, with Michael Fallon, then defence secretary, saying the Taliban had not been defeated but Afghan forces were taking full responsibilities. The Afghan president, Ashraf Ghani, said the 453 UK troops had "paid the ultimate sacrifice to enable us to live in freedom".
