British veterans of Afghanistan war will feel vulnerable, says minister

James Heappey, armed forces minister, says it is important to let veterans know their service was not in vain

British veterans of the conflict in Afghanistan will be feeling vulnerable and questioning whether their service was worth it as they witness the country fall to the Taliban once again, a UK government minister has said.

James Heappey, the armed forces minister and former British army officer, was forced to backtrack during media interviews on Monday over a claim he made that a soldier who served in Afghanistan had taken his own life in the last few days.