§ Llew SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has sought, and what communications he has received, from the United States Administration in respect of the circumstances surrounding the uprising and battle at the prison fort outside Mazar-e-Sharif in Afghanistan; how many prisoners were killed; if United Kingdom citizens are known to have been killed or captured; and what role British military personnel played in the action. [28504]
§ Mr. BradshawWe do not have details of the numbers killed or captured, and are not aware that any UK citizens were among those killed or captured.
My hon. Friend will understand that, for reasons of operational security, I cannot go into specific details about the involvement of British troops in this incident. However, I can tell my hon. Friend that, following an uprising by Taliban fighters being held at the fort, who overpowered their captors and seized the armoury, British troops went to the aid of their US colleagues. Under heavy fire they attempted to recover two US personnel apparently captured by the Taliban fighters.