NAVO offensief in Marjah: Aanval begonnen

quote:

Coalition

Afghan National Army
2,500 troops

United States Marine Corps
8,500 troops

British Army
4,000 troops

quote:

Afghanistan: US forces close in on Taliban town before Operation Moshtarak
US and Afghan soldiers launched a preliminary assault against the Taliban near the Afghan town of Marjah ahead of the imminent Operation Moshtarak.

Published: 4:06PM GMT 09 Feb 2010

Previous1 of 2 ImagesNext
French, Afghan and British troops preparing together for Operation Moshtarak. Photo: JULIAN SIMMONDS Governor of the Afghan province of Helmand Mohammad Ghulam Mangal (R) is watched by NATO's Senior Civilian Representative in Afghanistan Mark Sedwill as he addresses a press conference in Kabul on February 9 Photo: AFP/GETTY
Nato and Afghan officials, meanwhile, urged militants holding Marjah to lay down their arms and warned civilians to "keep your heads down".

About 400 US troops from the 5th Stryker Brigade as well as 250 Afghan soldiers and their 30 Canadian trainers moved into positions north-east of the town, which is in Helmand province in southern Afghanistan.


Related Articles
Afghan army 'equal partners'
Ainsworth: Taliban don't want to seek peace
Afghan deaths take death toll above Falklands
Gordon Brown on new Afghanistan offensive
Scores die as Taliban suffer heaviest defeat for months
Taliban releases video of captured US soldierLarge plumes of smoke were witnessed in the area, along with the rattle of 50-caliber machine gun fire and detonations from MK-19s, machine guns which fire 40 mm grenades from Stryker vehicles.

The assault was part of the preliminary "shaping operation" ahead of the full-blown Operation Moshtarak. No casualties were reported.

US and British officials have not said when the main attack on the town of some 80,000 people will take place but have nonetheless heavily publicised plans to attack, causing hundreds of people to flee the opium-producing centre in advance of the fighting.

On Tuesday, however, Taliban militants prevented townspeople from leaving Marjah, as families huddled inside their homes, witnesses said.

The offensive will be the first major one since President Barack Obama announced he was sending 30,000 reinforcements to Afghanistan

quote:

Op dinsdag 9 februari 2010 21:53 schreef IntercityAPT het volgende:
Ah, op dit precieze moment is Amerika in verweggistan de cowboy aan het uithangen. Leuk he

quote:

Taliban-bolwerk Marjah omsingeld
Update: vrijdag 12 feb 2010, 19:59

Duizenden buitenlandse en Afghaanse militairen hebben als voorbereiding op een groot offensief tegen de Taliban de stad Marjah in de zuidelijke provincie Helmand omsingeld. Marjah is het laatste grote bolwerk van de Taliban in Helmand en een centrum van de opiumteelt.

In de stad van 80.000 inwoners zouden 400 tot 1000 Talibanstrijders zijn. De inwoners zijn over de radio en met pamfletten gewaarschuwd geen onderdak te bieden aan Talibanstrijders.

Veel mensen zijn de stad al ontvlucht. Het offensief moet een van de grootste worden sinds de Amerikaanse invasie van Afghanistan in 2001.

quote:

Update: U.S. officials say main attack on Taliban-held town of Marjah in Afghanistan has now begun - AP

quote:

With a promise to attack with speed and power, nearly 8,000 U.S. and Afghan forces launched a well telegraphed offensive today to take back control of the central Helmand city of Marja.


U.S. Marines quickly moved to the outskirts of the city in the opening moments of the assault where heavy machine gun fire could be heard. Helicopters flew overhead and several missiles were seen launched towards the city, including one that targeted a group of people who were apparently planting a roadside bomb.