Afghan civilians using mobile phones acted as lookouts for the Taliban before the convoy led by the most senior British officer to be killed in Afghanistan was attacked by a roadside bomb. Lieutenant-Colonel Rupert Thorneloe and 18-year-old Trooper Joshua Hammond died when their Viking armoured vehicle was blown up by the device last Wednesday during a major offensive in Helmand province. Killed: Lieutenant Colonel Rupert Thorneloe died after being hit by a roadside bomb Senior defence sources last night said that the convoy headed by Lieutenant-Colonel Thorneloe, commanding officer of the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, had been 'dicked', or identified, as targets by Afghans who tipped off Taliban insurgents. It is a technique now being regularly employed. Under threats of violence, the civilians had little choice but to act as... [read full story]
