A new book is shedding light on one of the most intense battles faced by British soldiers in Afghanistan.

Shamrocks Among the Poppies, written by Buckinghamshire-based author and retired army officer Lt Col Derek Plews, tells the story of the 2006 Siege of Musa Qal’eh.

The book details the 37-day ordeal through the words of the soldiers who lived it.

Lt Col Plews, originally from Londonderry and now living near Wendover, said: "An initial force of 3,500 – of whom only about 600 were fighting troops – was despatched to Helmand Province, tasked with providing a security bubble around the provincial capital, Lashkar Gah.

"But the Taliban had other ideas.

"Instead of challenging the rule of law in and around the capital, they chose to stretch the too-small British force by threatening to seize towns far to the north, including Sangin, Now Zad, Kajaki, and Musa Qal’eh."

The book not only describes the intense combat, but also examines government decisions that sent troops to Afghanistan while operations in Iraq were ongoing.

Lt Col Plews served in Afghanistan in 2006 at the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force headquarters in Kabul as the events began to unfold.

He said: "Given the scale, ferocity, and frequency of the Taliban attacks – up to 10 full-on assaults each day – it is a miracle the casualty count was not much higher."

The British garrison, made up of just 87 soldiers including 67 from the Royal Irish Regiment, was ordered to hold the District Centre, come what may.

By the time the siege ended, three soldiers had died and many more were wounded.

Lt Col Plews said: "I had originally conceived the book in three parts.

"Part one would set out why the UK decided to re-invest in Afghanistan in 2006, while still under pressure in Iraq.

"The second part was to be an explanation of why we sent such a small force to take on such a potentially massive task.

"And the third section was the siege itself."

However, he soon realised the story did not end when the soldiers left Musa Qal’eh.

He said: "It became very clear, very quickly, that the book couldn’t end there.

"For many of the soldiers, the combat had not stopped when they climbed into the back of that helicopter.

"They were still fighting…in their minds."

The final part of the book addresses the long-term psychological impact of the siege and the lack of support for those affected.

Shamrocks Among the Poppies is published by Helion Books.