The names of 200 British soldiers killed in Afghanistan since 2001 were read out in London in protest against the war.

At the Naming Of The Dead ceremony at the Cenotaph in Whitehall yesterday, campaigners paused to remember those who have lost their lives.

Along with the 200 British names were the names of another 200 Afghan citizens killed during the war.

Tony Benn, president of the Stop the War Coalition, said: “We are here to remember the men and women who died in Afghanistan, out of respect for their loss and the loss to their families.

“But we are also looking forward to how this can be ended.

“All wars have to end by talking to somebody. We will have to talk to the Taliban because this is an unwinnable war.”

And he called for British troops to be withdrawn, following the announcement of the latest casualties.

“It’s time we looked for a way out of this crisis,” he said.

“Too many men have lost their lives already and more will die.

“Going to war was a political decision. It wasn’t made by the soldiers, it was made by the Government and it is time we pulled out.”

One protester said the ceremony was a chance to remember the individual faces of those killed in action.

Tansy Hoskins, of Stop the War Coalition, said: “We crossed the 200 threshold and people across the country will be reflecting on why we are there.

“We’re not winning.”

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