David Cameron declares 'mission accomplished' in Afghanistan

British troops can return to the UK from Afghanistan knowing its mission was accomplished, Prime Minister David Cameron has said.

The comments from Cameron came as he visited Afghanistan and met forces stationed at Camp Bastion in Helmand.

He said a 'basic level of security' had been achieved and troops could 'come home with their heads held high'.

According to the BBC, Cameron's comments come two months after Afghan president Hamid Karzai said there was only partial security in the country.

Karzai had said that foreign troops should have done more to target safe havens in Pakistan.

Cameron's brief visit was what has become a traditional pre-Christmas prime ministerial trip.

He took a helicopter to a forward operating base in the Nahr-e Saraj part of Helmand, where he had lunch with a small group of soldiers, the report said.

Around 5,200 British troops are now based in Afghanistan, down from 9,000 at the start of the year. There have been 446 British deaths since operations began in 2001, the report added.