Taliban Stronghold
Overtaken By Offensives
The
Afghan government has officially taken control of the southern
Taliban stronghold of Marjah on Thursday, installing an
administrator and raising the national flag there.
The U.S.-led troops are engaged in fierce offensive to root out
final pockets of militants.
The ceremony was held in a central market as U.S. Marines and
Afghan troops slogged through bomb-laden fields in the north of
the town. The Marines and their Afghan partners are trying to
secure a 28-square mile (45-square kilometer) area believed to
be the last significant pocket of Taliban insurgents in Marjah.
NATO said militants and allied troops are still getting caught
up in gunfights in some areas.
Sign of progress
A report says the number of residents returning has increased in
recent days, as shops have opened to sell telephones and
computers alongside fresh fruits and vegetables.
Officials have welcomed the installation of Abdul Zahir Aryan as
the town's administrator, describing the move as a key sign of
progress.
The senior U.S. government representative for Helmand province,
which contains Marjah, Marlin Hardinger said: ’’ Today's
event was the civilian Afghan government re-establishing itself
officially in front of the local residents.’’
Begging for peace
Asking for peace and stability, residents who attended the
ceremony said they wanted Afghan and NATO forces to quickly
clear the bombs planted by insurgents on Marjah's roads, fields,
and compounds so they could return home.
The mass assault in southern Helmand province, with 15,000
NATO and Afghan troops, is the largest military operation in
Afghanistan since the U.S.-led ouster of the Taliban regime in
2001.
NATO's strategy is to drive Taliban militants from the town,
which had served as a logistical base and drug trafficking hub,
restore the Afghan government's presence, and rush in public
services in a bid to win over the confidence of local
communities.
Difficult terrains
In the north of Afghanistan, reports say the Marines' progress
was slowed by difficult terrain on Thursday, with no roads, few
tracks and many hidden mines, but there was no gunfire all day.
Several armored vehicles fell into irrigation canals while
others were damaged by roadside bombs.
Several residents told Marines the Taliban were pulling back as
NATO and Afghan troops advanced. It appeared insurgents were
choosing not to engage in fighting, but instead trying to delay
troops with planted bombs.
In a sign that NATO's push to win over the population may be
gaining traction, bomb tips from residents have increased by
nearly 50 percent, the alliance said.
‘Casualty figures’
As the offensive closes in on its second week, 13 NATO
troops and three Afghan soldiers have been killed, according to
military officials. Eighty NATO troops have been wounded, along
with eight Afghans.
At least 28 civilians have been killed, including 13
children, according to the Afghan human rights commission.
Associated Press/Yinka
