BRITAIN's armed forces have suffered the bloodiest year of action since the Falklands conflict.

Like the 1982 conflict when thousands of Plymouth-based servicemen were in the South Atlantic, hundreds of troops and medics have been involved in the Afghanistan mission.

Yesterday the Ministry of Defence announced that five more soldiers had died in the war-torn country.

The death toll for British armed forces personnel this year now stands at 92 in Afghanistan, with one soldier who died from gunshot wounds while on base in Basra, southern Iraq.

The death toll does not include two soldiers who were shot dead outside a military barracks in Northern Ireland in March this year.

The previous highest death toll since the Falklands conflict was in 2007, when 89 members of the armed forces died on active service.

Yesterday's news brought the total of British service personnel who have died since the start of operations in Afghanistan in 2001 to 229.

The grim development comes after eight soldiers died in a period of 24 hours in Afghanistan in July, the bloodiest 24 hours for ground troops since operations began in the country.

Among them was Trooper Joshua Hammond, from Plymouth.

Meanwhile yesterday Prime Minister Gordon Brown was urged to ensure the number of soldiers who lose arms and legs while fighting in Afghanistan is made public.

The Premier said he was happy to give "as much information as possible" – provided it was consistent with military advice.

During its six-month tour over the summer, it was reported that the 9,000 troops of 19 Light Brigade suffered 67 dead, 283 seriously wounded and a further 423 casualties through "non-battle" injuries such as heat exhaustion, disease or accidents.

It is believed that Plymouth's 3 Commando Brigade will return for a summer tour of Afghanistan in 2011.