2 Scots killed in Helmand; TWO SCOTS DIE IN AFGHAN BOMBING.

Byline: Keith McLeod

TWO Scots soldiers were killed in an explosion in Afghanistan yesterday.

The men, from The Black Watch 3rd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland, were on foot patrol in Helmand province when they died in the blast.

It takes the number of deaths of UK service personnel since operations began in Afghanistan in 2001 to 210.

Army chiefs have yet to name the latest casualties - one a private and one a senior NCO. Next of kin have been informed.

Lieutenant Colonel Nick Richardson said: "Everyone in Task Force Helmand is deeply saddened by the deaths of these two brave soldiers .

"While there are no words that can ease their loss, our heartfelt sympathies go to their families, friends and fellow soldiers at this extremelydifficulttime."

Brigadier-General Eric Tremblay, a spokesman for the International Security Assistance Force, added: "I convey my most heartfelt sympathies to the families, friends and comrades of these brave servicemembers.

"They fell as they were providing much needed security to the Afghan population in thesouth."

Tremblay said international security forces would continue to "stand united in this tough but winnable struggle to protect Afghan civilians."

First Minister Alex Salmond said: "This is grave and tragic news. All our thoughts at this difficult time are with the families, friends and colleagues of the BlackWatch soldiers."

Cruel

Two Americans were also killed yesterday. in southern Afghanistan, where western troops have been battling Taliban insurgents during the election period.

New details of the extent of lawlessness in the war-torn country emerged yesterday.

Only nine judges are working in an area of Afghanistan almost the size of England. Efforts have been intensified to train more and bring justice to outlying areas, an official inHelmandprovince said.

But tribal justice or the cruel beheadings and amputations by Taliban warlords cover many of the less-accessible parts.

Kate Fearon, from the provincial reconstruction team, said: "The Taliban has appropriated the elder system but really inverted it and used it to execute really cruel punishments.

"They hijacked it and they imposed hideous punishments - amputations, beheadings.

"People live in fear and are so intimidated that sometimes in the area where formal justice doesn't reach out, they have no choice but togoto theTaliban."

Fearon said the international community were working to link the elder system, whereby senior village members dispense justice for less serious crimes, to the formal courts.

British Army and civilian experts have been working closely with Afghans to improve the security forcesandcatch criminals.

Fearon added: "The formal system is seen as corrupt and ineffective so it is more common to make acase to the elders.

"The formal system, as it is, isn't capable and rule of law is one of the keypillars ofdemocracy.

"We want the formal sector to be capable of dealing with the cases that come before it in a fair and effective manner and capable of hearing cases within a reasonable timeframe."

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CASUALTIES: Black Watch