The mother of a north-east war hero killed in action has admitted she is “terrified” other families could suffer as a result of UK troops going back to Afghanistan.
Acting sergeant Sean Binnie, of the 3rd Battalion the Royal Regiment, was shot in the chest near Musa Qala in Helmand region as he went to the aid of two Afghan soldiers pinned down by enemy fire in May 2009.
And last night, the 22-year-old’s mother Janette said she does not want other families to go through the pain she did after his death.
It comes after a small contingent of about 10 troops were sent to Helmand to act as advisers to the Afghan forces, after days of fighting.
Although the Ministry of Defence has made it clear they will not take part in combat operations, Mrs Binnie still fears for the soldiers’ safety.
The 47-year-old, of Crimond, said: “It’s scary. I’ve got close relationships with some of Sean’s friends and the thought of them having to go back is terrifying. It’s scary to think we could end up back in the Middle East fighting.
“We should be looking at the state of the UK before sending troops back in.
“I don’t want to see other families going through what I went through.”
Mrs Binnie added that she understood that soldiers had a “job to do” but that “too many lives have been lost”.
Since the UK’s involvement in Afghanistan in 2001, 456 men and women have died.
404 of the deaths have been the result of hostile action.
“It’s not the best of things to be happening around the time of Christmas,” Mr Binnie said.
“There’s boys out in Afghanistan just now and all we can do is support them.”
Earlier this year, Michael Fallon MP, Secretary of State for Defence, announced that 450 troops would be stationed in Afghanistan to train domestic forces in 2016.
The UK withdrew its combat troops in 2014 after 13 years of fighting.