COMMANDING officers of a North-East regiment deploying to Afghanistan said their troops would continue working with confidence alongside Afghan forces, despite a wave of ‘green-on-blue’ attacks.

Lieutenant Colonel Richard Wallwork, of 4 Regiment Royal Artillery, better known as the North East Gunners, said the 373 soldiers he would lead in Helmand province for the next six months were "looking forward to working with the Afghan police and army".

However, as the soldiers paid emotional farewells to their families at Allanbrooke Barracks, near Thirsk , yesterday, Defence Secretary Philip Hammond insisted their mission as mentors for Afghan forces was not being abandoned by the Government.

He said an International Security Assistance Force announcement that Nato forces were scaling back joint operations with Afghan forces was only a draft order and would have minimal impact of operations by UK forces.

Mr Hammond said: "We have got a strategic plan. We are working towards an end to our combat operations in 2014."

The servicemen and women are part of Catterick Garrison-based 4 Mechanized Brigade, The Black Rats, which will take over responsibility for Task Force Helmand next month.

On its previous tour of Afghanistan in 2010, 58 members of the brigade were killed, three of whom were from the North East Gunners.

Lt Col Wallwork, who is embarking on his fifth tour of Afghanistan, said while 51 international troops had been killed this year by Afghan forces or militants wearing their uniforms, his men would remain focused on their key mission to nullify the terrorist threat.

He said: "The day to day interactions between British soldiers and Afghan forces are in the tens of thousands, so these attacks are very rare incidents."

Lt Col Wallwork's deputy, Major Jez Mawdsley, said the troops had been drilled with a range of measures to protect themselves against attacks from rouge Afghan forces.

The Northern Echo: BACK ON TOUR: Warrant Officer Simon Bell, from the North-East Gunners, says goodbye to his daughters, four-year-old Catherine and three-year-old AliceBACK ON TOUR: Warrant Officer Simon Bell, from the North-East Gunners, says goodbye to his daughters, four-year-old Catherine and three-year-old Alice

He said those deciding on whether to partner Afghan forces in operations would face some "extremely difficult decisions".

Maj Mawdsley, whose mother lives in Brancepeth, near Durham, said: "It would be nice to have more rigorous vetting of the Afghans, making sure none of them express extreme views."

After waving goodbye to his wife, Michelle, and daughters, Felicity, four, and Katharine, one, battery commander Major Rob Alston said he was heartbroken.

He said: "They are supportive and understand I have a job to do. They will look after mum and mum will look after them. We get 20 or 30 minutes phone time a week and there's internet provided, so we'll be in touch regularly."

Many of the soldiers said it was a relief to be deploying following months of training and mounting tension.

Sergeant Ryan Brown said while his chief responsibility was to provide moral support for the troops, he was looking forward to putting his training into practice on his second tour of Afghanistan.

He said: "You join the army to go on tours. There is no time to get bored, you always have a plan for the next day."