A GLASGOW soldier has given a harrowing account of an attack on a group he was leading in Afganistan Lance Corporal Neil Hume, 25, from Baillieston returned from the war-torn country yesterday and told how he was in charge of seven soldiers when a hail of bullets and rockets began to rain down on them.

"They just opened up on us and started firing," he said. "I got under cover and told the men to get under cover. We were lucky there was a trench system so we got into them and then started to return fire."

They were being attacked by eight insurgents armed with rifles and rocket-propelled grenades, he said.

The men were not far from base so the Lance Corporal radioed in and and requested back-up.

The soldiers there began to fire mortars down onto the attackers, giving their comrades the chance to escape back to the Afghani compound where they were based.

Lance Corporal Hume said: "It was scary. Not just to get myself back in but the rest of my section back in as well.

"As a section, you are a tight-knit group and you are responsible for everyone. When it comes to it you've got to get everyone out of there in one piece."

No one was injured in the attack.

The armed infantry company served in Afghanistan for six months, from August last year to February this year and are currently at their base in Munster, Germany.

Another Scots soldier told how he was blown up twice in his tank while fighting the Taliban - and walked away unscathed both times.

Lance Corporal Robert Duncan from Dalkeith: "I am a lucky guy, sometimes I can't believe it. I look back and think How am I still here?'