Nine Taliban militants were killed in a gunfight early Monday by Afghan and NATO troops in the southern Afghan province of Kandahar, a senior police official said. The gunfight erupted after Taliban-linked militants attacked Afghan and NATO security forces in the restive province's Panjwayi district, the top police commander for southern Afghanistan, Ghulam Ali Wahdat, told AFP. The troops were on a routine patrol when they came under attack, he said."We were conducting an operation in the area. Taliban attacked one of our patrols. We engaged them and nine Taliban were killed," Wahdat told AFP. Kandahar is one of the most troubled regions in Afghanistan, and one where Taliban militants are most active.
Meanwhile, British, Afghan and coalition forces captured four key Taliban strongholds in southern Afghanistan during a massive operation that saw them fight at close quarters, knee-deep in mud, reports late Sunday said. Britain's Ministry of Defense released details of the operation, which was fought over 18 days around the town of Nad-e-Ali in Helmand Province and left five members of the British forces and around 100 Taliban fighters dead.
More than 1,500 troops were involved, making it one of the largest operations mounted by the Royal Marines since the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. It culminated in a battle on December 25, Christmas Day.
"Almost every day we were involved in intense firefights ranging from rocket-propelled grenades and small-arms 'shoot-and-scoots' to four-hour battles with the enemy forces as close as 30 meters," said Captain David Glendenning, commander of the Royal Marines' artillery support team.
Some of the British troops had to trudge more than 60 kilometers through mud while fighting insurgents, the Ministry of Defense said.
One marine recalled his experience: "I was in Nad-e-Ali for just over two weeks ... Some of the places we stayed in were a nightmare - sleeping in the mud was the worst.
"[At times] we were exposed and moving ahead of our infantry protection. It felt like we were being watched and it was difficult to tell who the enemy was - it was pretty scary."
The ministry said the operation was aimed at improving security in the provincial capital Lashkar Gah, ahead of a voter registration program due to start early this year. It involved Danish, Estonian and Afghan troops, and saw the marines at one point fight hand-to-hand in a "360-degree battle," the ministry said. The deaths during the operation of four British servicemen and an Australian serving with the British forces were announced at the time.