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A new brigade and commander have taken control of British military operations in southern Afghanistan.A ceremony in the UK military headquarters in Lashkar Gah saw 4 Mechanised Brigade take responsibility.
Its commander Brigadier Richard Felton, now in charge of Task Force Helmand, said the outgoing 11 Light Brigade had done a "fantastic job".
Some 61 members of 11 Light Brigade have been killed since their tour began in October 2009.
He continued: "Their successes have brought security and stability to many Afghan people.
"I want to pay particular tribute to the 61 members of the brigade who made the ultimate sacrifice."
11 Light Brigade, which lowered its flags to mark the end of the deployment, was formed specifically for the Helmand campaign.
It included units from across the UK and a specialist taskforce to help guard against improvised explosive devices.
Brigadier Felton added: "We will build on the progress they have made here.
"All of 4 Mechanised Brigade are keen to start work and enthusiastic about the difference we can make to the Afghan people."
4 Mechanised Brigade will remain in Afghanistan until October 2010.This article is from the BBC News website. ? British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.