Gurkhas from Shepway have arrived in Afghanistan ready for a six-month tour of duty.

Troops from the Second Battalion of the Royal Gurkha Rifles (2RGR) based at Sir John Moore Barracks in Shorncliffe are to be based in Helmand Province.

Their aim is to help with the regeneration of the region as part of Operation Herrick Nine.

They will act as a quick reaction force dealing with situations varying from speaking to disgruntled villagers to fighting the Taliban outside the village of Musa Qal’eh in the north of the province.

Out of 2RGR’s four companies A, B and D will be deployed to Afghanistan as C company only returned from a tour of Kosovo in August last year.

Speaking at a training exercise in Salisbury Plain in July Officer in Command of A Company Major Chris Boryer, 32, said: “With every operation there are concerns, as you are dealing with people’s safety, but we are well trained and equipped to mitigate any situations thrown at us.

“Also the Gurkhas are particularly resilient and tough soldiers and are streetwise in a way that we as British soldiers are not.”