Over the weekend the Taliban had taken nominal control of the Barg-e-Matal District in Nuristan Province. That didn't last long and Afghan Commandos and National Police have combined to push them right back out. Afghan commandos, backed by Coalition advisers and air support, retook a district in eastern Afghanistan that had been captured by the Taliban last weekend. More than 200 Afghan commandos “assisted by a small contingent of coalition partners” retook the district of Barg-e-Matal in Nuristan province yesterday, the International Security Assistance Force said in a press release. The district was recaptured just two days after Afghan police abandoned Barg-e-Matal as part of a “tactical retreat” to avoid civilian casualties. The operation to retake the district began on early on May 31, when Coalition air support engaged the Taliban with “precision-guided airstrikes on known insurgent locations near Barg-e-Matal,” ISAF stated in a press release. “The airstrikes were requested by local officials and ANSF [Afghan National Security Force] commanders,” ISAF said. “Extreme care was given to validating the targets, which were under surveillance for an extended period of time. The operation was launched in response to significant insurgent activity in the area during the previous week. The precision strikes were designed to degrade enemy positions, command and control, and staging/caches sites in the area.” The airstrikes were followed by an air assault by Afghan commandos, who linked up with more than 400 local police in the region, The Associated Press reported. No Taliban casualties were reported in the airstrikes or the subsequent commando operation to retake the district. Read more: http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2010/06/afghan_commandos_ret.php#ixzz0pcBBBBuv It is looking like a lively fighting season and there will be a lot of give and take all over the country along with the major push in Kandahar.
Read the complete post at http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Blackfive/~3/EYQCyAEVD0E/afghan-commandos-retake-bargematal.html
Posted
Jun 01 2010, 01:17 AM
by
BLACKFIVE