KANDAHAR, Afghanistan -- Bomb-making supplies, guns, narcotics and money -- but no Taliban -- were seized by Canadian troops during the first days of what is being called a major offensive into the northwestern part Afghanistan's dangerous Kandahar province.The Canadian soldiers, their NATO allies based in Kandahar, Afghan National Security Forces, and British troops from Helmand province moved into Band-E-Timour and the Maywand district northwest of Kandahar city on Sunday.
The offensive is taking large number of coalition forces in Kandahar further from their base than they normally venture and marks one of the rare times they have conducted a joint operation with the British next door.
The assault - dubbed Roob Unyip Janubi, or Southern Beast in the native Pashto -- is aimed at shutting down the sites where the Taliban make the explosive devices that are responsible for the deaths of many of the Canadian soldiers who have been killed in Afghanistan.
"To date we have located a number of sizeable cashes of insurgent weapons IED-making supplies, narcotics and money, The loss of these supplies in anticipated to significantly reduce insurgent capabilities in both Kandahar and Helmand provinces," Capt. Chris Quinlan told reporters during a brief press conference Friday at the Kandahar Air Field.
The Bandi-Timour region is not the most volatile region of the province. But it was described by the military today as a being a feeder hub used by the Taliban to funnel supplies and money into other areas of Kandahar and neighbouring Helmand.
The coalition forces, who pinpointed specific targets for assault based on prior intelligence, found components for making improvised explosive devices, drugs and other weapons as well as information they can use for future operations. No members of the Taliban were captured, said Capt. Quinlan. But, given what they left behind, it appears that the insurgents were surprised by the attack and
When asked what makes this raid different to other NATO operations in Kandahar, Capt. Quinlan said: "We are reaching father with more forces than we have up till now and we are integrating more partners more effectively."
The NATO forces had not planned to make news of the assault public until next week but Brigadier-General Denis Thompson, the Commander of Task Force Kandahar, spoke to British reporters about the operation on Thursday, bringing an end to the embargo.
The assault comes after an acknowledgment by Canada's Chief of the Defence Staff, General Walter Natynczyk, that the situation in Afghanistan is getting worse.