British marines 'going deaf' in Afghanistan

More than two-thirds of British combat troops returning from Afghanistan are suffering from permanent and severe hearing damage, a study has found.

The internal defense document is part of a wider study into the less well-known side-effects of the fighting in Afghanistan's Helmand province.

The document released on Sunday revealed that of over 1,200 Royal Marine commandos who served in the war-torn country, 69 percent were experiencing hearing damages.

The findings indicate that hearing problems or almost complete deafness among combat troops are far greater than previously reported.

According to a British Ministry of Defense report dated December 7, close-combat fighting, roadside devices and the noise of low-flying coalition aircrafts are the main reasons behind the problems.

The report warns that the known scale of the problem might prove to be the "tip of the iceberg" because only the most severe forms of hearing loss, grave enough to bar troops from frontline service, are officially reported.

Britain currently has around 10,000 soldiers stationed in Afghanistan.

Despite the growing unpopularity of the Afghan war, the UK will be deploying 500 more soldiers to the war-torn country in the coming week.