Cameron welcomes troops returning from Afghanistan

2013-10-22 33

ROUGH CUT (NO REPORTER NARRATION)

STORY: One hundred and twenty British troops from the First Mechanized Brigade, who recently returned from Afghanistan's Helmand Province, paraded through London to the Palace of Westminster on Tuesday, where they attended a parliamentary reception.

British Prime Minister David Cameron greeted the troops outside the Houses of Parliament.

"Can I warmly welcome you here to the House of Commons. It is parliament that sends you to Afghanistan and it is right that parliament should play a role in welcoming you back," David Cameron said.

445 British soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since the troops arrived in 2001.

The NATO-led force in Afghanistan is hoping for a credible handover before most troops are pulled out at the end of next year.