Marines killed by Afghans are named

Two Royal Marines whose deaths brought the British forces' Afghanistan and Iraq toll to 300 were named today as Robert McKibben and Neil Dunstan.

The pair died during a patrol in Garmsir district of southern Helmand on Wednesday when their vehicle was hit by an explosive device as they patrolled with Afghan security forces.

Mr Dunstan, 32, was from Bournemouth. He was due to marry his fiancée, Katie Miller, in summer 2010. She described him as her "soulmate" and said he was proud to be a Marine. A graduate who spoke fluent French, he was said to be a quiet but natural leader with maturity and intellect.

Mr McKibben's family had been expecting him home before Christmas. Also 32, from Westport in Co Mayo, he was well-known in the close-knit community. Father Micheal Mannion, a local priest, said the soldier's parents, brother and two sisters were "in terrible shock".