It looks as though the annual ’spring offensive’ is underway in Afghanistan. BTW, if you aren’t checking BBC News for your word updates, you should.
BBC NEWS | South Asia | Taleban ’storm’ government office
Taleban fighters have seized local government offices in Afghanistan’s south-eastern province of Zabul.
A local spokesman said police in Khan Afghan district had withdrawn because they did not have enough ammunition.
Meanwhile, in Helmand province the Taleban are reported to have been forced out of the town of Sangin by Nato and Afghan troops.
President Hamid Karzai says his government has been having meetings with the Taleban for “a long time”.
In fresh violence on Friday, a suicide bomber has killed six people near parliament in the capital, Kabul.
Serious damage
The Taleban have been forced out of the town of Sangin in Helmand province, the governor of Helmand told the BBC.
 |
Brigadier Jerry Thomas, the commander of the UK taskforce in Helmand, said: “The aim of this operation was to clear the Taleban from the Sangin area and re-establish the authority of the government of Afghanistan in Sangin to create a secure, stable and prosperous environment in which reconstruction and development can take place.
“In the last two days we have made significant gains in pushing the Taleban from the area and that operation continues,” he said, quoted by the Press Association (PA).
According to PA, the operation began on Wednesday night and involved more than 1,000 troops, including 42 Commando Royal Marines battle group, an Estonian armoured infantry company and elements from a Danish reconnaissance unit.
Chinook, Black Hawk and Apache helicopters were used to support the mission, reports said.
Nato said it airlifted hundred of troops into the area earlier this week as part of Operation Achilles, aimed at “our long-term goal of providing the security conditions necessary to allow the government of Afghanistan to begin reconstruction and development in the area”.
It said it has inflicted serious damage to the Taleban’s infrastructure in the area.
1 Comment(s)
Comments RSS TrackBack Identifier URI
Leave a comment
[...] Brigadier Jerry Thomas, the commander of the UK taskforce in Helmand, said: The aim of this operation was to clear the Taleban from the Sangin area and re-establish the authority of the government of Afghanistan in Sangin to create a … – more – [...]