Marine Damian Jonathan Davies, aged 27, Landing Force Support Party, Commando Logistic Regiment, Sergeant John 'Manny' Manuel, aged 38, of Company HQ, X-Ray Company, 45 Commando Royal Marines and Corporal Marc 'Birchy' Birch, aged 26, of 6 Troop, X-Ray Company Royal Marines were killed in action as a result of a bomb attack south of Sangin, Afghanistan on 12 December 2008. X-Ray Company was conducting an operation alongside Afghan National Army troops to dominate areas posing a dangerous threat to British forces and the local Afghan population. The men who were killed were members of the Quick Reaction Force (QRF) which was working in support of the company operation. The members of the QRF were talking to locals when a 13-year-old boy pushed a wheelbarrow containing an explosive device toward them, which was then detonated killing the marines and killing and injuring a number of children and civilians. It is thought that the boy did not know about the explosives in the wheelbarrow and was an unsuspecting victim of the blast.