Bitter blow: UK's former hub in Afghanistan taken by Taliban

Confirmation that the Taliban captured the capital of Afghanistan's Helmand province has particular resonance in Britain

LONDON -- For a large chunk of the past 20 years, British troops fought hard to ensure that the southern Afghanistan province of Helmand did not fall into the hands of the Taliban. Confirmation Friday that the Taliban had captured Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand, had particular resonance in Britain. The vast majority of the U.K.'s 457 casualties occurred in the province as British troops fought with American and allied NATO forces. The Camp Bastion complex in Helmand was the headquarters for British military operations from 2006 until 2014. With the Taliban advancing rapidly and now in control of around two-thirds of Afghanistan, questions are being raised about why the U.K. could not have remained even after the planned departure of U.S. troops by Sept. 11. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned there was no “military solution” to prevent the resurgence of the Taliban.