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|strength1=7,500 ([[United Kingdom]]),<br>2,500 ([[United States]]),<br>600 ([[Denmark]]),<br>500 ([[Afghan National Army|ANA]]),<br>300 ([[Canada]]),<br>200 ([[Netherlands]]),<br>100 ([[Estonia]])
|strength1=7,500 ([[United Kingdom]]),<br>2,500 ([[United States]]),<br>600 ([[Denmark]]),<br>500 ([[Afghan National Army|ANA]]),<br>300 ([[Canada]]),<br>200 ([[Netherlands]]),<br>100 ([[Estonia]])
|strength2= 8,000-9,000 (Taliban claim)
|strength2= 8,000-9,000 (Taliban claim)
|casualties1= 76 killed ([[United Kingdom|UK]]);<ref name="icasualties">{{cite web |url=http://www.icasualties.org/oef/ |title=Operation Enduring Freedom |accessdate=2007-11-27 |date= |work= |publisher=[[iCasualties.org]]}} </ref><br>17 killed ([[United States|US]]);<ref name="icasualties"/><br>10 killed ([[Denmark]]);<ref name="icasualties"/><br>83 killed (Afghan army and police)<ref name="icasualties"/><br>7 killed ([[Canada]]);<ref name="icasualties"/><br>1 killed ([[Netherlands]]);<ref name="icasualties"/><br>2 killed ([[Estonia]]);<ref name="icasualties"/> <br>1 killed ([[Czech Republic]]); <br>'''Total:''' 197 killed
|casualties1= 76 killed ([[United Kingdom|UK]]);<ref name="icasualties">{{cite web |url=http://www.icasualties.org/oef/ |title=Operation Enduring Freedom |accessdate=2007-11-27 |date= |work= |publisher=[[iCasualties.org]]}} </ref><br>17 killed ([[United States|US]]);<ref name="icasualties"/><br>10 killed ([[Denmark]]);<ref name="icasualties"/><br>84 killed (Afghan army and police)<ref name="icasualties"/><br>7 killed ([[Canada]]);<ref name="icasualties"/><br>1 killed ([[Netherlands]]);<ref name="icasualties"/><br>2 killed ([[Estonia]]);<ref name="icasualties"/> <br>1 killed ([[Czech Republic]]); <br>'''Total:''' 198 killed
|casualties2=Several thousand killed<br>(NATO claim)<small><ref name="icasualties"/></small>
|casualties2=Several thousand killed<br>(NATO claim)<small><ref name="icasualties"/></small>
}}
}}

Revision as of 13:57, 5 July 2008

Helmand province campaign
Part of the War in Afghanistan (2001–present)

View from a Chinook helicopter over Kajaki district.
DateJune 4, 2006 -
Location
Helmand province, Afghanistan
Result Ongoing
Belligerents
 United Kingdom,
 United States,
 Denmark
Afghanistan Afghan National Army,
 Canada,
 Netherlands,
 Estonia		 Afghanistan Taliban insurgents
Commanders and leaders
Ed Butler/Charlie Knaggs(May-Nov 06)
Jerry Thomas
(Nov 06-Apr 07)
John Lorimer(Apr-Oct 07)
Andrew Mackay(Oct 07-Apr 08)
Mark Carleton-Smith(current)		 Mullah Dadullah (KIA),
Mullah Akhtar Osmani (KIA),
Mullah Abdul Qassim,
Mullah Abdul Ghaffour (KIA)
Strength
7,500 (United Kingdom),
2,500 (United States),
600 (Denmark),
500 (ANA),
300 (Canada),
200 (Netherlands),
100 (Estonia)		 8,000-9,000 (Taliban claim)
Casualties and losses
76 killed (UK);[1]
17 killed (US);[1]
10 killed (Denmark);[1]
84 killed (Afghan army and police)[1]
7 killed (Canada);[1]
1 killed (Netherlands);[1]
2 killed (Estonia);[1]
1 killed (Czech Republic);
Total: 198 killed		 Several thousand killed
(NATO claim)[1]

The Helmand province campaign is a series of military operations conducted by ISAF forces against Taliban insurgents in the Helmand Province of Afghanistan. Their objective has been to control a province that is known to be a Taliban stronghold, and a center of opium production.[2]

The deployment of international, mostly British, forces was part of the stage three expansion of the ISAF mandate, to cover the southern regions of Afghanistan. Until then Helmand province had seen only a limited coalition presence.

Prelude

In 2006, a revitalised Taliban conducted a number of large-scale military offensives against coalition troops in Helmand, Kandahar and other provinces on the border with Pakistan.

In Helmand, the Afghan government only had a tenuous hold outside the provincial capital of Lashkar Gah. The NATO presence in the province was sparse, limited to 130 American soldiers undertaking punctual anti-terrorist missions, as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. Through the month of April, a new British unit, the Helmand Task Force, was deployed in order to counter the Taliban. The core of the fighting force was drawn from the 16th Air Assault Brigade, and in particular from the 3rd battalion, of the Parachute Regiment. Based out of Camp Bastion, then under construction, the task force numbered 3,300 men, though only a third of these were combat troops. [3]

During the first four months of its presence in Afghanistan, the Helmand Task Force was expected to take part in Operation Enduring freedom, and help track down Taliban and Al Qaeda extremists. It was thus placed under the command of U.S. Major General Benjamin Freakley, commander of the Combined Joint Task Force 76. But being part of ISAF, it was also answerable to the ISAF Regional Command South, then led by a Canadian, Brigadier General David Fraser.[4] This tangled chain of command was accompanied by a certain difficulty in defining the priority between two different and sometimes contradictory missions: either to win the support of the local population, or to fight and eliminate the Taliban.[5]

Outposts under siege

The initial mission of the Helmand Task Force was to carry out reconstruction and hearts and minds projects in the relatively safe area known as "the triangle", centered around Lashkar Gah and Gereshk. However, the intensification of Taliban attacks led to a dramatic change in this strategy. In early spring 2006, Baghran District fell temporarily under insurgent control, and on May 18, a Taliban raid in Musa Qala killed some twenty Afghan policemen.[6]

The possibility of a Taliban offensive sweeping over the entire province was taken seriously by the provincial governor, Mohammad Daoud, a personal ally and appointee of President Hamid Karzai. Daoud insisted that ISAF troops be deployed in the districts that were under immediate threat of Taliban attack: Sangin, Now Zad, Musa Qala and the strategic hydroelectric installations at Kajaki. This was the beginning of the controversial "platoon house" strategy, that saw NATO troops, mostly British, tied down in remote outstations across northern Helmand. All posts attracted sustained and intensive Taliban attacks, and remained under siege for long periods. The Task Force's limited assets became dangerously stretched, leading to difficult situations in several cases.

Sangin

Main article: Siege of Sangin

The town of Sangin (population 30,000), is an important trading center of southern Afghanistan, and is believed to be the biggest opium market in the region.[7] Thus it naturally became an important objective both for the Taliban and the coalition. Before June 2006, it was believed to be largely under insurgent control.[5]

On June 18, 2006, Jama Gul, a former district chief, was ambushed and killed in Sangin, along with four bodyguards. When a group of his relatives went to retrieve the bodies, 25 of them were killed.[8] It was this incident, sometimes described as "face-off between two drug lords", that led to the deployment of ISAF troops in Sangin.[9] On June 21, a company of British paratroopers moved into the town, ostensibly to rescue the son of the current district chief, who had been wounded in the fight. However, after a personal intervention by Hamid Karzai, they were ordered to remain in Sangin, in order to assert the faltering authority of the central government.[10]

Canadian M777 howitzer firing at Taliban positions in Sangin.

At first, the situation inside the town remained calm, but this changed after June 27, after a failed special forces raid in the Sangin area, during which two British soldiers were killed. On June 30, the insurgents launched their first frontal attacks on the district centre, garrisoned by British troops. The attackers were driven off, after having lost at least twelve killed.[11] Despite this, the Taliban did not relent, and renewed their attacks every night, using small arms, RPGs, and 107 mm rockets. The British answered with machine guns, mortars and Javelin missiles, and by calling in artillery and airstrikes. Resupply was sometimes interrupted for as long as five days, as Taliban fire would have put the helicopters at risk.

On July 15, as part of operation Mountain Thrust coalition forces conducted an offensive into Sangin district, supported by armour, in the shape of light tanks of the Household Cavalry Regiment and Canadian LAV IIIs. In the face of overwhelming force, most of the Taliban retreated, and a supply convoy was escorted into the town. The garrison were able to strengthen their defenses after the arrival of an engineer unit.

After September 14, the fighting died down in Sangin. On September 21, the paratroopers occupying the government compound were replaced by a unit from 42 commando, Royal Marines. In March 2007, the Marines were in turn replaced by a company from the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. By this time, the Taliban had resumed their operations in the sector, and the fusiliers were attacked 79 times during their first twenty days in Sangin.[12]

On April 5, 2007, coalition forces launched operation Silver, as part of the wider Operation Achilles, with some 1,000 troops. After giving advance warning of their offensive, they advanced into Sangin, which had been mostly abandoned by the insurgents. The new governor of Helmand Assadullah Wafa, was able to install a new district governor, and ISAF claimed to have pacified the town.[13] The Taliban claim to still control neighbouring areas.[14] Since the end of the siege, the district compound has still come under attack, but the British have built two new forward operating bases a few miles away that draw most of the Taliban attacks away from the town itself.[15]

Musa Qala

After May 18, 2006, coalition troops were deployed in Musa Qala, to defend the district centre. Serving also as a prison and police station, the district centre was situated in the middle of the town, a situation that greatly hampered the defenders. The garrison consisted of some 80 Afghan policemen, who were more of a militia than a police force, and were very unpopular among the local population.[16]

The American unit present in Musa Qala was replaced on June 14 by a composite group of British troops, mostly pathfinders. The first heavy Taliban attack was launched on July 16, and though it was repelled with heavy loss, the insurgents maintained a constant pressure on the district centre. On July 26, the Danish 1 Light Reconnaissance Squadron, known as "the griffins", arrived at Musa Qala to relieve the British troops. However, these could not be extracted until August 8, when a full battle group operation, codenamed Operation Snakebite, was required to reach the town centre. The griffins were equipped with 16 Eagle armoured vehicles, one lost during the fight to get in the town, most armed with a .50 calibre machine-gun. Their commander built a series of ramps enabling the vehicles to fire over the compound walls. With the support of a mortar team from the Royal Irish Regiment and abundant air support, the Musa Qala garrison was able to drive back all attacks, but the presence of large numbers of Taliban prevented them from venturing out of the base. On the 24 August, the Danish unit were extracted and assigned to the Canadian-led Op Medusa, the Danes were replaced by a mixed British detachment of paratroopers and Royal Irish rangers, whose weapons array was considerably less powerful, having only two .50 cal and eight GPMG machine-guns. Knowing the garrison was weaker, the Taliban launched two attacks with a group of 150 men on August 26/27. Both were driven off, after which the insurgents concentrated on indirect attacks with mortars and 107 mm rockets.

By the end of September, the fighting in Musa Qala had come to a stalemate. The Taliban had suffered heavy losses and had been incapable of driving the ISAF forces out of the town. The coalition had also suffered losses: three British soldiers had been killed in Musa Qala[17], and their control of the town didn't extend outside the compound walls.[18] Also, the British commanders feared that a resupply helicopter might be shot down, giving a propaganda victory to the insurgents. Both sides welcomed an initiative by the town elders, to negotiate a truce and avoid further bloodshed. The British agreed to withdraw from the city, and in return the tribesmen would deny sanctuary to the Taliban.

The agreement lasted 143 days, ending after the brother of a local Taliban leader, Mullah Abdul Ghaffour, was killed by an airstrike from an American B-1 bomber. [19] The Taliban claimed this had occurred in an area covered by the truce. In retaliation a group of 200-300 insurgents stormed the town on February 1, 2007, executing the elder who had brokered the truce[20], and jailing several others. On February 4, Mullah Abdul Ghaffour himself was killed in an airstrike. [21] On the same day, General David J. Richards, who had supported the truce, was replaced at the head of ISAF by General Dan K. McNeill, who favoured a more aggressive approach. [22]

In Musa Qala, the Taliban imposed their fundamentalist interpretation of muslim law, closing down schools, restricting women's movements, levying heavy taxes, and hanging those inhabitants they suspected of being spies. The Afghan government and the coalition refrained from retaking the town, to avoid causing civilian casualties.[23]

Kajaki dam

The Kajaki dam is a particularly important installation, providing water for irrigation in the Helmand Valley, and electricity for the whole province. Through early 2006, it came under increasing attacks by the Taliban, for whom even a brief occupation would serve as a propaganda victory. The dam was defended by a mixed force of Afghan policemen and security guards led by an American contractor. Nightly Taliban mortar attacks demoralised the defenders, who had no heavy weapons, and were unable to retaliate. In late June, a team of British paratroopers was deployed near Kajaki, and managed to ambush a Taliban mortar team, killing ten and wounding two. [24] Thereafter, a permanent British military presence was established at the dam, where coalition troops occupied a series of fortified posts built by the Soviets during their presence in Afghanistan. The Taliban grew more cautious, but continued their harassment attacks throughout July and the first half of August.[25]

In February 2007, British troops from 42 commando conducted Operation Volcano, clearing a safe zone around the dam and driving the Taliban out of mortar range. The main Taliban fortified position in the village of Barikju was cleared without casualties.[26]

Since then, the situation around the dam has stabilised. Kajaki is one of the rare occasions during the Afghanistan war where both sides use fixed positions, and an actual front line has developed.[27]

NATO counter-offensive

In April 2007, the number of British troops in southern Afghanistan was increased from 3,300 to 5,800 men.[28] Heavier equipment was also deployed, namely Warrior IFVs, Mastiff protected vehicles and GMLRS multiple rocket launchers. The new task force commander, Brigadier John Lorimer, also requested that Challenger 2 tanks and AS-90 self-propelled guns be deployed, but these were refused.[29]

On March 6, Coalition forces began a series of large-scale operations, to systematically clear the entire province of enemy forces.

ANA and U.S. forces battling the Taliban in Sangin on April 18, 2007.

Operation Achilles

Main article: Operation Achilles

Operation Achilles was the first task force-level operation to be conducted by NATO forces in the battle for Helmand. More that 4,500 British led ISAF troops were involved, along with 1,000 Afghan personnel. NATO officials reported that, contrary to what happened in previous operations, Taliban fighters were avoiding direct confrontation in favor of guerilla tactics. The main objectives were the strategic points of Northern Helmand, including all major towns, and the Kajaki dam.

A number of sub-operations targeted specific sectors:

  • Operation Kryptonite(February 12): Some 300 British and Dutch ISAF and ANA troops cleared the area from where the Taliban had mortared the dam in the past months. On February 14, a senior Taliban leader, Mullah Manan, was killed in an airstrike between Kajaki and Musa Qala.
  • Operation Silver (April 5): A 1,000-strong group composed of a heliborne force of U.S. paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division, along with an armoured column of 250 Royal Marines cleared the town of Sangin, that had been mostly abandoned by the Taliban.
  • Operation Silicon (April 30): This operation was undertaken mostly by ANA troops supported by British units, moving against the Taliban in Gereshk and the lower Sangin valley. [30]

On May 12, Mullah Dadullah, second in command of the Taliban, was killed in Gereshk district, in a raid carried out by British SBS commandos and Afghan troops.[31] A significant feature of the operation was the end of the siege of Sangin where British troops had been cut off for more than nine months. This time, coalition forces built a number of patrol bases, manned by British troops and Afghan security forces, establishing a permanent presence in areas from where the Taliban had been expelled.[32] Achilles ended on May 30, with the result that NATO forces managed to establish a foothold in enemy territory in Helmand.

Operation Lastay Kulang

Main article: Operation Pickaxe-Handle

On the same day that Achilles ended operation Lastay Kulang, meaning "Pickaxe-Handle" in Pashto, started. This operation was not as successful as the previous one. At around 4:00 local time on Wednesday, May 30, 2007, ISAF and ANSF personnel advanced towards the village of Kajaki Sofle, ten kilometres south-west of the town of Kajaki, to remove a Taliban force whose presence threatened the security and stability of the Lower Sangin Valley. During the night, elements of the American 82nd Airborne Division mounted an aerial assault on a Taliban compound. One of the Chinook helicopters taking part in the raid was apparently hit by an RPG round and crashed, killing five Americans, a Briton and a Canadian onboard. Lastay Kulang ended on June 14, with the strategic outcome unclear. NATO stated that their forces cleared Sangin and Gereshk of Taliban and thus secured the Kajaki District. In contrast, the Taliban claimed that they still control much of Kajaki, and some of the Sangin districts. These claims were confirmed by the local residents, who complain that the Taliban returned as soon as NATO and ANA troops had left.

Operation Hammer

Main article: Operation Hammer (Afghanistan)

In late July another operation was started called operation Hammer. It began in the early hours of July 24, 2007 in the area between Heyderabad and Mirmandab, north-east of Gereshk. The operation is continued the momentum towards expelling Taliban forces from areas of the Upper Gereshk Valley in Helmand province. During the initial stages of the operation, ISAF and Afghan National Security Forces advanced to secure a strategic bridge crossing over the Nahr-e-Seraj canal, clearing and searching compounds, before military engineers from 26 Engineer Regiment established a joint forward operating base. Sporadic fighting followed after that. And by early November operations ended with coalition troops establishing a firm frontline south of the Helmand river and were preparing for an attack towards Musa Qalah, which had been under Taliban control for eight months.

Operation Sledgehammer Hit

Operation Palk Wahel (Sledgehammer Hit in pashto) involved 2,500 troops, of which 2,000 are British, drawn mostly from the 1st battalion, the Royal Gurkha Rifles and from 2nd Battalion the Mercian Regiment. During this operation, Warrior IFVs, manned by the Scots Guards, made their first significant operational deployment in Afghanistan. Most of the remaining 500 men came from the Afghan National Army, while small contingents from Danish, Czech and American forces also participated.[33]

The objective of the operation was to dislodge the Taliban insurgents from their strongholds in the upper Gereshk valley.

The operation began on Sept. 19 when the Scots Guards engineers threw a bridge over the Helmand river. During the early stages, coalition troops encountered heavy resistance and had to clear several compounds in close-quarter combat. An estimated 100 Taliban and at least six civilians were killed.[34] Three British soldiers were also killed: two in an accident and one by an IED.[17]

Battle of Musa Qala

Main article: Battle of Musa Qala
File:Afghan soldiers near Musa Qala.jpg
Afghan soldiers on the move near Musa Qala.

On November 1, 2007, 40 Commando Royal Marines pushed north in Viking armoured vehicles, driving across the Helmand river north of Sangin, creating a bridgehead for the Scots Guards convoy. There has been on and off contact with the Taliban who have attacked British forces with rockets, mortars and rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs). Having established positions around Musa Qalah, British troops have been carrying out reconnaissance patrols. The main focus of current operations is to disrupt and confuse the Taliban and destabilize their supply routes.[35]

The town had become a major Taliban drug trafficking station and had been considered to be of symbolic importance to both sides, to the Taliban in the sense that they can take and hold ground in Afghanistan in defiance of the Afghan government and NATO.

On December 6, 2007, British, Afghan and U.S. forces started their assault on the town. Initially the British and Afghan forces attacked in the afternoon, from three directions. Several hundred US troops were later dropped from helicopters and fought on foot through the night. The Taliban defences included hundreds of mines and it was reported that the moral among the Taliban forces was high. Up to 2,000 Taliban fighters were confirmed to be in the town. One British soldier, 12 Taliban fighters and two civilian children were killed on the first day of the operation.[36]

By December 8, 2007, NATO troops captured two villages south of the town and advanced to within two kilometers from the outskirts. The Taliban were withdrawing to their defences in the town and more Taliban reinforcements were pouring into the district. The biggest problem for the coalition were mines. Both of the two fatalities sustained by the coalition at that point were the result of land mines.

On December 10, the Taliban withdrew their forces northwards into the mountains and Afghan troops entered the town, meeting little resistance. Two Taliban leaders were reportedly captured during the battle.[37]

On December 12, the town finally fell to advancing coalition forces.

Stalemate

By the end of December 2007, the situation on the ground reached a stalemate. A de facto border was established east of Garmsir along the banks of the Helmand River that divided British-held from Taliban-held territory. The British were outnumbered by the larger Taliban force which was receiving reinforcements from Pakistan. However the British had jets and heavy artillery on their side. Both forces were fighting in the coming months for mere yards of territory.[38]

U.S. Marines come into the fight

U.S. Marines in Garmsir.

In early April 2008, U.S. Marine reinforcements were sent to NATO forces in Helmand to help in the fight. After all of the troops arrived, Marines from the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) started their operations with an attack on the Taliban-held town of Garmsir on April 29. The operation was in conjunction with British troops of the 16 Air Assault Brigade.[39] They met almost no resistance, because the Taliban had already observed in the previous days the movements of the Marines before the operation and expected an assault so withdrew to take up positions a few kilometers outside the town.[40]

The Marines quickly set up positions so to secure the major road through the town. For the next few days there was no contact between them and the Taliban. But, on May 1, a Marine patrol tried to push further outside of the town and almost immediately were met with machine gun and rocket fire. The unit was pinned down against a dirt berm for several hours. A vast field was separating the Marines from a line of three mud huts and a grove of trees from where the Taliban were firing. Soon Marine mortar fire joined in the fight and the Taliban also responded with mortar attacks on the Marine base in the town. Later in the day Marine artillery fire was also used against the militants. At the end of the day, no Marines were hurt or wounded. The Taliban casualty count was not known.

Operation Eagle's Eye

In May and June 2008, Operation Oqab Sturga (Eagle's Eye) was launched.[41] The successful operation involved British troops from The Parachute Regiment and the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (5 Scots) and Afghan National Army and Danish troops, backed up by British artillery and Apache helicopters.

The operations aims were to disrupt Taliban activities in the Upper Gereshk Valley, between the towns of Gereshk and Sangin, and strengthen the Afghan government’s control of the Musa Qaleh Wadi. Resistance from the Taliban was limited to indirect fire and improvised explosive devices, the Taliban avoiding direct confrontations with coalition forces.

Taliban spring offensive

At the begining of June the Taliban launched their spring offensive despite Coalition claims that they are not able to do that. Most of the heavy fighting was concentrated in the province of Kandahar, where the Taliban broke out 1,100 prisoners from the main prison in Kandahar City, on the border with Pakistan, in the province of Farah to the west and in Helmand. Between June 8 and June 24, a total of 14 foreign soldiers were killed in a surge of attacks in the province.

It was reported that a British helicopter killed a key Taliban leader called 'Sadiqullah' and up to ten members of his cell on 26 June 2008. They were said to be responsible for roadside bomb and suicide attacks against NATO and Afghan forces. The attack took place 10 kilometres north west of Kajaki in Helmand. [42]

Incidents

Helmand province incident

Main article: 2007 Helmand province incident

During the campaign there were numerous incidents were NATO air strikes resulted in massive casualties for the civilian population. One of the more notable was on June 22, 2007. A NATO air strike killed between 45 and 100 civilians. The Afghan and Pakistan governments condemned the attack blaming both NATO and the Taliban. NATO's reaction to the incident was just that the number of dead was less than 45 and they welcomed an investigation. But they stated that they will not change their tactic of bombing civilian centers because the Taliban use the civilians as human shields. By then up to 314 civilians were killed by Coalition troops in contrast to 279 by the insurgents.

Friendly fire

On 23 August 2007, three British soldiers from the Royal Anglian Regiment were killed, and two injured, by a U.S. F-15 fighter.[43]

On 26 September 2007, two Danish soldiers were killed by a British missile in a "friendly fire" incident.[44] The British Ministry of Defense appointed a board of inquiry to investigate the affair.[45]

Political developments

Before the arrival of ISAF troops, Helmand province was ruled by governor Sher Mohammed Akhundzada. Due to his participation in opium-dealing and alleged links with the Taliban, the British demanded that he be replaced.[46] In January 2006, President Karzai agreed to remove him, but the two men maintained cordial relations, and Akhundzada was appointed as a member of the National Assembly of Afghanistan. His replacement, Mohammad Daoud, a British protégé, was obliged to accept Amir Muhammad Akhundzada, the brother of Sher Mohammed, as his deputy, in order to pacify the Akhundzada family and their important tribal following. Amir Muhammad did not collaborate with Daoud, and constantly undermined his rule, eventually driving him from power in December 2006. Daoud's removal was also attributed to the Americans and to the hawks in the Karzai government, due to their rejection of the Musa Qala accord, that was seen as a "strategic disaster".[47]

Daoud's successor is Assadullah Wafa, an elderly man with poor health, who has had little authority in Helmand. In November 2007, Sher Mohammed is said to be vying to return to power in Helmand, taking advantage of rumours of defections of an important tribe to the government.[48]

References

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  2. ^ Gall, Carlotta (December 2, 2006). "Taliban Truce in District of Afghanistan Sets Off Debate". The New York Times. Retrieved 2007-11-23. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  3. ^ Bishop, Patrick (2007). 3 Para. HarperPress. p. p.50. ISBN 978 0 00 725778 2. {{cite book}}: |page= has extra text (help)
  4. ^ Bishop p.45
  5. ^ a b Walsh, Declan (July 20, 2006). "Taliban resurgence tests British will". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 2007-11-28.
  6. ^ Bishop, p. 52
  7. ^ Chouvy, Pierre-Arnaud (October 14, 2006). "Opiate smuggling routes from Afghanistan to Europe and Asia". Geopium.org. Retrieved 2007-07-30.
  8. ^ Bishop, p. 107
  9. ^ Loyd, Anthony (October 30, 2006). "After the fighting and dying, the Taleban return as British depart". The Times. Retrieved 2007-11-23. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  10. ^ Bishop, p. 110
  11. ^ Bishop, p. 120
  12. ^ Walsh, Declan (April 11, 2007). "Relief at last for hard-pressed Fusiliers". Guardian Unlimited. Retrieved 2007-07-31.
  13. ^ "UK-led operation helps ISAF take control in northern Helmand". MoD. May 31, 2007. Retrieved 2007-10-20.
  14. ^ "Afghanistan: Operation Achilles Heel?". http://www.iwpr.net/ (IWPR). 18-Apr-07. Retrieved 2007-11-27. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help); External link in |publisher= (help)
  15. ^ Hickey, Matthew (23 November 2007). "How I watched British troops in desperate battle with Taliban for hearts and minds". The Daily Mail. Retrieved 2007-12-01.
  16. ^ Bishop, p. 154
  17. ^ a b "British military fatalities in Afghanistan". BBC. 15 November 2007. Retrieved 2007-11-23.
  18. ^ Bishop, p. 235
  19. ^ Burke, Jason (February 4, 2007). "Taliban town seizure throws Afghan policy into disarray". The Observer. Retrieved 2007-11-23.
  20. ^ Bishop, p. 267
  21. ^ "NATO names 'killed' Taliban chief". CNN. February 5, 2007. Retrieved 2007-11-23.
  22. ^ Ahmed Rashid (February 5 2007). "Taliban takeover of town could mark start of military offensive". Eurasianet. Retrieved 2007-11-22. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  23. ^ "Taliban impose rule, hefty taxes in Musa Qala District". IRIN. 28/06/2007. Retrieved 2007-11-25. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  24. ^ Bishop, p. 98
  25. ^ Bishop, p. 98
  26. ^ "Marines clear Taliban from key Afghan dam". MoD. 5 Feb 07. Retrieved 2007-11-27. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  27. ^ Hickey, Matthew (28 November 2007). "On patrol with the Marines in no-man's land". The Daily Mail. Retrieved 2007-11-30.
  28. ^ Select Committee on Defence (3 July 2007). "Defence - Thirteenth Report". United Kingdom Parliament. Retrieved 2007-12-02.
  29. ^ Leake, Christopher (18 November 2006). "Army fury as chief in Afghanistan is told he won't get vital armour". The Daily Mail. Retrieved 2007-12-02.
  30. ^ "British and Afghan troops launch Operation Silicon". MoD. 2 May 07. Retrieved 2007-12-05. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  31. ^ Smith, Michael (May 27, 2007). "SBS behind Taliban leader's death". The Times. Retrieved 2007-12-05.
  32. ^ "On the heels of Achilles". MoD. 3 May 07. Retrieved 2007-12-05. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  33. ^ "Warrior debuts in Helmand offensive". MoD. 21 Sep 07. Retrieved 2007-12-03. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  34. ^ McGivering, Jill (25 September 2007). "On the frontline in Afghanistan". BBC. Retrieved 2007-12-03.
  35. ^ "British troops push north into Musa Qaleh". MoD. 14 Nov 07. Retrieved 2007-11-20. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  36. ^ "Toll rises in Taleban town battle". BBC. 8 December 2007. Retrieved 2007-12-10.
  37. ^ "Afghan troops take Taleban town". BBC. 10 December 2007. Retrieved 2007-12-10.
  38. ^ "British Troops, Taliban In a Tug of War Over Afghan Province". Washington Post. 30 March 2008. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  39. ^ British troops help US Marines tackle the Taliban in Garmsir - UK MoD 7 May 08
  40. ^ Marines storm Afghan town held by Taliban | www.azstarnet.com ®
  41. ^ British troops and ANA in Apache-backed operation - UK MoD 4 Jun 08
  42. ^ - Apaches "strike a blow" at Taliban leadership - UK MoD 30 June 2008
  43. ^ "'Friendly fire' kills UK soldiers". BBC. 24 August 2007. Retrieved 2007-11-29. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  44. ^ Hundevadt, Kim (2007-12-18). "Danske soldater dræbt af britiske missiler" (in Danish). Jyllands-Posten. Retrieved 2007-12-21. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  45. ^ "MoD probes 'friendly fire' claim". BBC. 26 November 2007. Retrieved 2007-11-29. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  46. ^ Synovitz, Ron (June 15, 2006). "Afghanistan: Plan To Recruit Militia As Police Sparks Concern". RFE/RL. Retrieved 2007-11-30.
  47. ^ Sengupta, Kim (09 October 2007). "Sacked for 'corruption and drug-dealing', but warlord seeks return to power in Helmand". The Independent. Retrieved 2007-11-29. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  48. ^ "Massive Taliban defection developing in Helmand". afgha.com. 30 October 2007. Retrieved 2007-11-30.

See also

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