BBC | 14 February 2010

Nato aims to add to Afghan gains
Thousands of US, UK and Afghan troops are trying to consolidate gains on the second day of a major offensive against the Taliban in southern Afghanistan.

1: Consolidation of security, 2: UK/Danish troops disrupt Taliban movements, 3: Forces secure Canal 56 crossings, 4: Helicopter insertions, 5: Helicopter and ground insertions into Marjah. (Source: UK Ministry of Defence)

They are advancing carefully, clearing countless improvised explosive devices (IEDs) from the Helmand districts of Marjah and Nad Ali.

There have been some sustained gun battles and many buildings have been booby-trapped by the insurgents.

The operation is the first big test of President Obama’s new Afghan strategy.

The International Red Cross has set up a first-aid post in Marjah, which it says has already treated several dozen residents injured in the fighting.

Obama briefing

Nato officers and Afghan troops are holding shuras, or meetings, with tribal leaders, and plan to bring in hundreds of Afghan police officers in the coming days to help secure the captured areas.

US-led Operation Moshtarak – meaning “together” in the Dari language – is the biggest attack since the Taliban fell in 2001.

It began before dawn on Saturday when more than 15,000 troops flew into central Helmand.

American forces, led by 4,000 US marines, are focusing on Marjah, while 4,000 British troops target Nad Ali district.

A large Afghan force, as well as Canadians, Danes and Estonians are also involved.

At least 20 Taliban fighters have been killed and another 11 detained, an Afghan commander said.

On Saturday, a British soldier, of 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, died in a bomb blast in Nad Ali, while a US soldier was killed by gun fire in Marjah.

President Barack Obama is said to be keeping a close eye on the operation, and will be briefed by the top US commander in Afghanistan on Sunday.

Nato’s aim is to secure Marjah and its surrounding area, which has a population of about 125,000, as soon as possible and then to bring in aid and public services.

‘Riddled with mines’

As well as having been a Taliban stronghold, Marjah has also long been regarded as a linchpin of the lucrative network for smuggling opium – the raw ingredient used to make heroin.

The BBC’s Frank Gardner, at Nato’s Kandahar headquarters, says RAF Tornado jets and drones have spent the last few days scanning the two districts for freshly laid IEDs.

But the insurgents, too, have had months to prepare for this long-planned offensive and Nato says the area is riddled with hundreds of mines.

US Marine commander Brig Gen Larry Nicholson told AFP news his forces in Marjah had “blown up a lot of IEDs” and come up against “a lot of sniper fire”.

Using metal detectors and sniffer dogs, the Marines have been painstakingly clearing hidden bombs from houses, one by one.

“Basically, if you hear the boom, it’s good. It means you’re still alive,” US Marine L/Corp Justin Hennes told AP news agency.

US forces also said they had discovered freshly abandoned sniper positions, booby-trapped with grenades.

A pharmacist told the Marines that hidden bombs had been placed around the entrance to his shop, reports AP.

‘Publicity stunt’

Correspondents say most of the Taliban appear to have scattered in the face of overwhelming force, possibly waiting to regroup before mounting attacks.

But on Sunday, a flag-raising ceremony by Nato-led forces in Marjah came under fire, reports Reuters news agency.

“I have always dreamed of raising the Afghanistan flag over Marjah,” Afghan soldier Almast Khan told Reuters.

The BBC’s Frank Gardner says the real challenge is still to come: building lasting security for the residents of central Helmand.

Operation Moshtarak’s success or failure depends on whether it can be swiftly followed by security and good governance.

This is something that has been all too rare in the troubled south of the country, says our correspondent.

A Taliban commander, named as Mullah Abdul Rezaq Akhund, reportedly labelled the operation a public relations stunt.

“Their main objective from all this propaganda is to give some prestige to the defeated military commander General Stanley McChrystal,” he said in a statement e-mailed to AFP news agency.

See Also:
In pictures: Moshtarak push
Conflict reaches critical juncture
Details on Operation Moshtarak
Operation Moshtarak: Diary

Source: BBC