Britain to announce pay rise for soldiers

LONDON, Oct 10 (Reuters) Britain will announce a pay rise today for soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan as recognition for the ferocity of the fighting there.

Government sources called accurate a report in the Sun newspaper that soldiers would be given a special bonus to cover their tax bills when they returned from war.

The British commander of NATO troops in Afghanistan has described the fighting there this year as the toughest British forces have faced since the Korean War 50 years ago.

Prime Minister Tony Blair said Defence Secretary Des Browne would cover the issue of soldiers' pay in a statement to parliament later today.

''The work that the troops are doing in places like Afghanistan -- as you can see where there's been really, really tough fighting -- it's vital for the world's security but it's been really, really tough for our troops,'' Blair told BBC television during an interview.

''What our troops and indeed the troops of many other countries are going through today, because of what's happened in the past few years, is something quite different from what they've faced really over the past decades. And so I think it's important that we make some recognition of that now.'' Britain has about 7,200 troops in Iraq and 5,600 in Afghanistan.

The move comes after opposition Conservatives called for the government to eliminate taxes for soldiers serving in war zones.

Finance Minister Gordon Brown, keen to play a bigger role in foreign and security policy to boost his hopes of succeeding Blair, is also set to allude to higher pay for soldiers in a speech today that will focus on anti-terrorism policy.

REUTERS BDP PM1528