'GAINING GROUND AGAINST TALIBAN' PM tries to rally public support for action.

Byline: GAVIN CORDEN

BRITAIN'S offensive against the Taliban is gaining ground despite the losses of recent days, Gordon Brown said as he attempted to rally faltering public support for the campaign in Afghanistan.

The Prime Minister described the mission as a "patriotic duty" to keep the streets of Britain safe from the threat of terrorist attack.

He paid tribute to the "sacrifice" of the 15 troops who had died since the start of the month in the bloodiest fighting the Army had seen in the current campaign.

The Ministry of Defence named six more of the dead - including five members of 2nd Battalion The Rifles who were killed on Friday during a foot patrol near the town of Sangin in central Helmand.

They included three 18-year-olds - Rifleman James Backhouse, from Castleford, West Yorkshire, Riflemen William Aldridge, from Bromyard, Hertfordshire and Joseph Murphy, from Castle Bromwich, West Midlands.

Also named was Corporal Lee Scott, 26, of the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment who died in an explosion near Nad-e-Ali in Helmand on the same day, Corporal Jonathan Horne 28 and Rifleman Daniel Simpson, 20.

Two soldiers killed on Thursday were named on Saturday as Rifleman Daniel Hume, 22, of 4th Battalion The Rifles, and Private John Brackpool, 27, of Prince of Wales' Company, 1st Battalion Welsh Guards.

Rifleman Murphy was attempting to carry Rifleman Simpson, 20, from Croydon, south London, to safety after he was wounded in the first explosion.

Corporal Horne, 28, from Walsall, and Rifleman Aldridge were killed trying to help casualties from the first explosion. Rifleman Backhouse was trying to clear a route for his comrades when he died in a blast.

US President Barack Obama said his "heart went out" to the families of the troops who had been killed as he praised the British contribution to the international effort in Afghanistan.

"Great Britain has played an extraordinary role in this coalition," he told Sky News. "The contribution of the British is critical."

In an interview with the British Forces Broadcasting Service, Mr Brown acknowledged that it was proving to be a "difficult summer" for the troops in Afghanistan.

"These sacrifices that have hurt so many families in our country are ones that the whole of Britain will want to acknowledge," he said.

He said that he had been assured in a lengthy briefing by commanders that the Operation Panther's Claw offensive to drive the Taliban from central Helmand province was making "considerable progress".

"I think the operation we are engaged with is showing signs of success.." the Prime Minister added.

CAPTION(S):

VICTIM: Rifleman James Backhouse VICTIM: Rifleman William Aldridge VICTIM: Rifleman Joseph Murphy VICTIM: Rifleman Daniel Simpson VICTIM: Corporal Jonathan Horne VICTIM : Corporal Lee Scott