THE North West's infantry battalion is to start a six-month tour of duty in Afghanistan today.

Soldiers from the 1st Battalion Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment officially launch their duties after flying out to the warzone in the past two weeks.

They begin their work during what Army bosses call one of the most challenging times in the country’s recent history.

Their role will be primarily to maintaining security.

But they will also be completing patrols to mentor the Afghan soldiers, building relations with locals, and offering a visible sign of strength to the insurgents.

Commanding Officer Lt Col Frazer Lawrence, speaking before the troops left for Afghanistan, said his men had been trained harder, and better, than ever before.

The 600 soldiers from 1 Lancs, as the battalion is known, will form part of the 4th Mechanised Brigade, which is made up of around 100 forces from across the country totalling some 6,350 troops.

As well as the threats from insugents and roadside bombs or IEDs there is also the extreme heat to deal with, temperatures regularly exceeding 50 degrees.

Lt Col Lawrence said their mission was very different to recent deployments the unit has had to Iraq, the most recent of which was in 2008.

He said: “I would hope that we would be able to see significant improvements in the security situation in the areas we are working in, and then that can lead to economic improvements.

“When that happens we can really make a difference.

“We are working towards an exit strategy and that needs to see the Afghan army at such a level that they can operate without our support.”

He said there was no doubt how dangerous Helmand Province was, and how large the threat from insurgents was to the Lancashire troops.

Major General Gordon Messenger, the UK's military spokesman for Afghanistan, said there had been significant progress in the region in recent months.

He said: “Such advances would not be possible were it not for the sacrifices and continued endeavours of the coalition and Afghan forces on the ground and, despite the challenges, the combined force remains ever more determined to succeed."