RCR take over from PPCLI at Kandahar

Latest roto in place:

After battling through one of the fiercest fighting seasons on record, the Canadian Forces officially handed the mission over to a new battle group during a small ceremony at Kandahar Air Field Sunday morning.

The sense of relief was tangible in the air for members of the second battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry battle group based in Shilo, Man., who have been through more than most as the fighting season progressed.

The remaining few Patricias still on the ground will head home over the next two weeks as their replacements from the third battalion Royal Canadian Regiment of Petawawa, Ont., take over the mission in Kandahar province.

Eighteen soldiers have lost their lives in combat since the Princess Patricias arrived last February. Half of them were killed during a rash of violence over the last month, particularly in the Taliban strongholds of Zhari and Panjwaii.

It's widely held that Taliban-led insurgency across Afghanistan has been much more aggressive and sophisticated in terms of fighting style and weaponry this summer.

The rising number of coalition troops killed in the fighting is a testament to that.

In Kandahar, where the bulk of Canadian troops are stationed, insurgents have resorted to an asymmetrical style of fighting, including carefully orchestrated "shoot-and-scoot" ambushes, and relying on many more - and much bigger - improvised explosive devices, according to Lieutenant Colonel Dave Corbould, the outgoing battle group commander.

"I see it as almost like Nicky Nicky Nine Doors," he said. "When you're using tools like IEDs and shoot-and-scoot tactics, it means you don't have the resolve or the ability or the confidence to stay in one place and fight for a piece of ground."

The insurgents have also stepped up the number of suicide bombings in the first 20 days of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month. These attacks included a twin suicide bombing two weeks ago at the police headquarters in Kandahar City that claimed the lives of two officers and injured 29 others, including eight civilians.

The rising number of civilians being caught in the crossfire, however, has more locals than ever reporting suspected Taliban hideouts and IEDs, Lt.-Col. Corbourd said.

Still, the Afghan and coalition troops have failed to gain much, if any, ground this year.

In order to establish a permanent presence in places like Zhari and Panjwaii, Brigadier General Denis Thompson, Canada's top soldier in Kandahar, has called for at least another battalion of Afghan National Army troops, in addition to three times as many trained Afghan police officers, and more coalition troops.

Some progress is being made on that front.

Earlier this month, the Afghan government agreed to nearly double the size of the Afghan army to 134,000 troops over the next four years, and another battalion of ANA is expected to arrive in Kandahar as early as next spring.

On Thursday, hundreds of Afghan National Police graduated from their eight-week training program, nearly doubling the number of uniformed officers in the province.

The eventual goal is to build the ANSF up so they can take over the fight themselves.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has said he hopes to completely withdraw Canada's troops in Afghanistan from their combat role by 2011 if he is re-elected...

Lieutenant Colonel Roger Barrett, the commanding officer of the new battle group, said the Patricia's have left a "legacy of excellence." He added the new RCR battle group plans to take up that torch and expand upon the ground the troops currently hold as the fighting season dies down in the weeks ahead.

"My goal is to help the Afghans create a better more secure environment, that allows development and governance to flourish," he said.