NATO Troops Secure Taliban Stronghold in Afghanistan

According to the AP Newswire, "more than 1,000 NATO and Afghan troops clashed with Taliban and took over control of a district center in southern Afghanistan, long held by the militants, officials and witnesses said Saturday. The troops used helicopters, armored vehicles and infantry in their push toward the town of Sangin in Helmand province, the world's biggest opium-producing region, NATO's International Security Assistance Force said in a statement late Friday. 'Military troops have successfully engaged several Taliban extremist strongholds and discovered a number of large weapon caches,' the statement said." (Yahoo! News article) The opium industry in Afghanistan has surged since the war first began in 2001, and opium production has long financed the Taliban. As a result, the operation in Sangin in Helmand province is vital to success of the war effort.

The joint Afghan and NATO operation is one of the most important of the war. "The operation to retake Sangin from militants started late Wednesday and is part of NATO's largest ever offensive in Afghanistan, Operation Achilles, launched last month to flush out Taliban militants from the northern tip of Helmand province and open the way for multimillion-dollar repair work on a dam in Kajaki district which would supply the country's south with electricity. 'There was very heavy fighting between foreign forces, Afghan forces and Taliban in Sangin two nights ago," Sangin resident Haji Akhtar Mohammad said Saturday. NATO and Afghan troops are in control of the center of Sangin and the Taliban appear to be moving toward the neighboring district of Musa Qala, which is still under the militants' control, Mohammad said." (Yahoo! News article)

AP Newswire is reporting that 1,000 Afgan troops and 4,500 NATO troops are stationed in the Helmand province as a result of the operation. Successful completion of the operation is vital in allowing access for repair and construction of infrastructure for the southern area of Afghanistan. Upon completion of the dam repair work and a subsequent supply of electricity for the southern region of the country, larger infrastructure improvements will be able to go ahead. The success of driving out the Taliban from the Helmand province helps secure the future for all of Afghanistan, and adds to the list of successful joint efforts between NATO forces and Afghan troops. "There have been over 220 'tactical engagements' since the start of the operation and dozens of militants were killed or captured, according to NATO officials in Kabul." (Yahoo! News article)