Today is a day of pride for the people of Worcestershire. Soldiers of 2nd Battalion Mercian Regiment (Worcesters and Foresters) will march through the streets of Worcester after a gruelling six-month tour in Afghanistan.

They have served their country with honour and distinction – their third tour in five years – and their service and sacrifice is rightly to be marked at a special service at Worcester Cathedral.

We all owe a debt of gratitude for the hard work of our servicemen and women, working under often difficult and dangerous circumstances. They are fighting a brutal Taliban insurgency.

As we celebrate the safe return of 2 Mercian, let us not forget the five soldiers lost during this tour. I pay tribute to their courage, and my thoughts and condolences go to their families, loved ones and colleagues.

But let nobody be in any doubt. The work they were carrying out is vital.

By helping Afghans resist violent extremism in their own country, our forces are stopping terrorist attacks being planned and carried out here in the UK.

In the longer term, we need to ensure that Afghans can run their own affairs so our troops can come home. But at the moment 70 per cent of Afghans say their country still needs the support of international forces.

This week, the Prime Minister announced that their numbers would be increased, with 500 UK troops to be deployed to Afghanistan from next month. And President Obama has also said that the United States will send an additional 30,000 troops to the country.

A big part of the work on the ground is building an Afghan army and police force strong enough to tackle violent extremism themselves. That’s exactly what 2 Mercian was helping to do.

The battalion served in Helmand from March to October, providing training for units of the Afghan National Army (ANA) and operating alongside them.

The battalion’s mentoring and training work helped improve the capability and capacity of the ANA so that they can take the lead in security operations.

Operation Zafar, for example, saw hundreds of members of the ANA and Afghan National Police, under the command of 2 Mercian, take part in two days of continuous fighting against Taliban insurgents.

Soldiers from the battalion were involved in the operation. The operation succeeded in pushing the Taliban out of several villages in the area near to Lashkar Gah, the provincial capital of Helmand.

By the end of the week, groups of UK stabilisation teams were conducting meetings with local elders who had been living in the shadow of the Taliban, helping with everything from refurbishing schools to improving healthcare.

The battalion was also involved in fierce fighting in the five-week Operation Panther’s Claw in the Babaji area. The operation was a real success, and the benefits for local people can already be seen.

Shuras – local consultation sessions – are now being held throughout the area, demonstrating the ability of elders and leaders to hold and attend local, public meetings to make decisions about how things should be run.

And since completion of the operation, successful initiatives in the area include a school refurbishment project, the development of health centres and the establishment of alternative economic programmes – for example, providing wheat seeds to replace opium.

In fact, progress is being made countrywide, and across a number of fronts – military, political and developmental. Afghans’ lives have improved significantly, and the efforts of our troops have been a big part of this.

Recent figures back this up. Nearly two-thirds of Afghans assess the security situation in their local area positively, and a growing number think the security situation is improving.

Security is an essential condition for development to happen. That is why the UK is supporting the Afghan government to weaken the Taliban, but also to build up its capacity to deliver essential services, including security as well as clean water, health care and education.

Funding from the Department for International Development has a real impact on the lives of ordinary Afghans.

Eight in 10 people can now access healthcare. Skilled antenatal care has tripled. Nearly half of Afghans now have access to electricity, up from just 23 per cent in 2005.

Girls couldn’t attend school under the Taliban, but now six million children of both sexes are in school.

UK funding is having a real impact on poverty in the country – our aid has provided access to clean water for 425,000 people, financed the salaries of more than 165,000 teachers, provided Afghan entrepreneurs with almost 1.5 million small loans and helped initiate nearly 50,000 locally-generated projects to improve water, roads, health and education throughout Afghanistan.

Today is time to celebrate the successes of our troops in Afghanistan. They are working with the Afghan people to build a stronger, safer region – one that can reject violent extremism. Ultimately, that is the key to lasting change in Afghanistan, and a safer and more secure Britain.