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Gov’t Deploys Additional Soldiers to Lashkargah Amid Clashes with Taliban
See also this story about current American adventures in the province.
[KhaamaPress] Provincial officials report of the heavy festivities between the government and the Taliban
...Arabic for students...
on the outskirts Lashkargah city of Helmand
...an Afghan province populated mostly by Pashtuns, adjacent to Injun country in Pak Balochistan...
province.

Reports indicate Police District 4 in Lashkargah, Sayed Abad area in Nad Ali district, and Nahr-e-Saraj area in Grishk district had all fell into the hands of the Taliban.

Some parts of Highway 601 have also reportedly been collapsed to the krazed killers’ hand, press reports.

Militants have carried coordinated attacks over the region. The festivities took place in various parts of the province, and it is reported that the battle has started since Saturday night.

Meanwhile,
...back at the chili cook-off, Chuck reached for the green sauce...
some provincial officials said the Taliban had stormed the fourth security district of the province last night, but a front man for the Helmand governor denied.

Omar Zwak, a front man for Helmand governor, told the media that security forces had carried out Arclight airstrike
...KABOOM!...
s against Taliban, inflicting heavy casualties to the krazed killers.

He also said that fresh military troops have been deployed in the Nawa district of Helmand province, where they carried out airstrikes in Momin Khan Square, killing more than 20 Death Eaters.

On the other hand, it is reported that at least 200 Taliban-affiliated members were killed in the last 10 days in Helmand Province.
If that is a real number, it’s quite impressive.
Reports indicate some freed Taliban members upon the Peace agreement had taken part in the battle.

The Taliban have not yet commented on the incident.

Highway Closed, Power Cut Off in Helmand Fighting
[ToloNews] At least "71 Taliban" were killed fighting in Nawa and Nahr-e-Saraj districts of Helmand province, said Tariq Arian, a spokesman for the Ministry of Interior (MoI), on Monday. However, Arian did not provide further details about the possible Afghan security forces casualties in the clashes.

Also on Monday, a power substation in Helmand was damaged in ongoing fighting in the province, cutting electric power to Kandahar and Helmand, said the provincial head of DABS, Wahidullah Alizai. Alizai said employees of the substation have been taken captive by the Taliban.

On Sunday night, A military operation involving commandos and air support was carried out in various parts of Helmand province, including the Babaji area and Nad Ali district, said the provincial governor's office.

A member of the provincial council of Helmand said that a number of the security checkpoints around Lashkargah city, capital of the province, have fallen to the Taliban.

The Taliban's designated deputy governor for Helmand, Mawlawi Ghafoor, who reportedly led the recent fighting against govt forces in the province, was arrested by security forces in Nahr-e- Saraj district on Sunday evening, said the Helmand governor's office. The Helmand governor's office said that Mawlawi Ghafoor was among those prisoners recently released by the Afghan govt as part of the peace process.

On Sunday, heavy clashes occurred on the outskirts of Lashkargah, resulting in the fall of city police district 4 to the Taliban, according a member of the provincial council. Local officials, however, said it was a tactical retreat.

The head of Helmand's provincial council, Ataullah Afghan, said that some parts of Highway 601—that connects Lashkargah with Kandahar province—also fell to militants. The highway has remained closed to traffic for the last three days following clashes, according to officials and TOLOnews’ Abdullah Hamim.

Other areas that have witnessed clashes between the Afghan forces and the Taliban over the last three days include the Chah Anjir area of Lashkargah and Nad Ali district.

Ghani: Helmand Battle will Cost Taliban Heavy
[KhaamaPress] President Ashraf Ghani
...former chancellor of Kabul University, now president of Afghanistan. Before returning to Afghanistan in 2002 he was a scholar of political science and anthropology. He worked at the World Bank working on international development assistance. As Finance Minister of Afghanistan between July 2002 and December 2004, he led Afghanistan's attempted economic recovery until the Karzais stole all the money...
told Helmand
...an Afghan province populated mostly by Pashtuns, adjacent to Injun country in Pak Balochistan...
Governor Gen. Mohammad Yasin that the Taliban
...Arabic for students...
would make the fighting in Helmand difficult.

Yasin wrote on his Facebook page that President Ghani had spoken to him a few minutes ago about the situation in Helmand and assured him that he had ordered the security agencies to take Helmand seriously.

"The war in Helmand will be very difficult for the enemies of the country," he posted.

This comes as fierce fighting broke out between Afghan cops and the Taliban in the center and districts of Helmand province on Sunday morning, which is still ongoing and both sides are claiming inflicting heavy casualties on each other.
Posted by: trailing wife 2020-10-13
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=584624