Afstan: New ISAF offensive in Helmand province

Operation Silicon is part of the larger Operation Achilles. But is Achilles itself part of an even larger Operation Nawruz? Note the number NATO countries taking part in Silicon.

Hundreds of British troops swept into the lush opium fields of southern Afghanistan on Monday, drawing hostile fire at the start of a NATO operation to expel the Taliban from a valley stronghold.

Operation Silicon, which is to involve more than 3,000 NATO and Afghan troops, is the latest effort to bring insurgency-roiled Helmand province under the control of President Hamid Karzai's shaky government.

Before dawn Monday, a long column of armoured vehicles brought several hundred British soldiers to the Sangin Valley, near the town of Gereshk [see map near bottom of page at link] and Afghanistan's strategic ring road that links the cities of Kandahar and Herat.

"It is all part of a longer-term plan to restore the whole of Helmand to government control," said Lt. Col. Stuart Carver, a British commander. "You have to do it a piece at a time."

The lower valley is only about five kilometres long. But its 100 or so high-walled compounds and maze of deep irrigation channels offer good cover for determined defenders.

After fanning out to patrol on foot, the British soldiers soon came under attack, first from mortar rounds, then from regular bursts of machine-gun fire.

An Associated Press reporter travelling with the troops heard officers ordering British artillery units to respond. Three Apache helicopters [check link for differing US and UK Apache tactics - MC] flew overhead but didn't immediately open fire.

There were no reports of casualties.

NATO's International Security Assistance Force has carried out several operations in southern Afghanistan this year, hoping to pre-empt a feared Taliban onslaught, open the way for development aid, and persuade ordinary Afghans to side with the government.

Operation Achilles, begun last month, aims to oust the resurgent Taliban from around Helmand's Kajaki dam, so that multimillion dollar repairs can go ahead and the dam can supply electricity to some two million people in Helmand and neighbouring Kandahar province.

NATO officials say the operation in Sangin aims to kill die-hard Taliban fighters or push them from the area.

The effort is to involve some 1,100 British troops, 600 U.S. soldiers and more troops from the Netherlands, Denmark, Estonia and Canada. Over 1,000 Afghan government troops [emphasis added] were also taking part, military officials said.

However, it will not touch Helmand's opium fields, which supply much of the world's opium and its more potent derivative, heroin...

Alliance aircraft have dropped leaflets and broadcast advertisements on local radio stations, calling on residents to eject "tier-one" Taliban — religiously driven, seasoned fighters — or risk attacks on their homes.

"Everyone there wanting to fight, will be a determined fighter, since the message that we are coming has gone out," said Maj. Mick Aston, one of the British officers involved in the operation.

More:

Involved in the operation are about 1,100 British soldiers, 600 U.S. troops and a combined 400 troops from Canada, Netherlands, Denmark and Estonia. More than 1,000 Afghan government soldiers are also involved.

"The Canadians have been providing fire support with the big howitzers in Sangin," CTV's Lisa LaFlamme reported from Kandahar...

The mission is the latest in a series that fall under the umbrella of Operation Achilles.

"In early March ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) launched Operation Achilles to increase security conditions in the northern region of Helmand province. This will allow the Government of Afghanistan (GOA) to start the various short-, medium- and long-term Reconstruction and Development initiatives.", Maj. Gen. Ton van Loon, Regional Command South commander, said in the NATO press release.

"Today's actions will further reduce the insurgent's ability to de-stabilize the GOA. And by doing so, we are one step closer to creating a secure, stable and prosperous environment in which the planned reconstruction and development can take place."