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| Afghanistan |
| Afghan police move into Taliban stronghold |
| 2010-02-22 |
| Afghan police prepared to take control of a town at the centre of a massive US-led offensive as US general David Petraeus said "tough fighting" continued. About 15,000 Afghan and NATO troops faced fierce resistance as Operation Mushtarak entered a second week, with gunfights and mines holding up efforts to secure the Nad Ali and Marjah areas of Helmand province. Civilians hemmed in by bombs planted by the Taliban faced desperate conditions, with food running short. But officials were hopeful that elite Afghan police would soon control parts of Marjah township. General Muhaidin Ghori, the Afghan National Army commander for Helmand, said about 600 police with the newly established Public Protection Police Force had expanded their positions day by day since Friday. "They are in Marjah centre, in the bazaar," he said. "We are busy carrying out the clean-up and search operations to provide the grounds for establishing the opportunities for installing permanent posts and bases for the police to take up their policing duty." Daud Ahmadi, the Helmand provincial governor's spokesman, said despite the police presence in Marjah, government authorities did not yet have complete control of any target areas, including the main market seized on Wednesday. The market remained closed and civilians were unable to move freely because gardens, roads and paths were heavily mined, he said. |
| Posted by:Steve White |