British forces have scored dramatic successes against the Taliban during a lightning push deep into the lawless regions of southern Afghanistan, senior commanders revealed yesterday. The scale and effect of the operation had not previously emerged but the British force in southern Afghanistan has advanced 75 miles into the insurgents' stronghold leaving dozens of Taliban dead. Despite suffering one dead and two seriously wounded last week, Operation Mountain Thrust has forced the insurgents out of villages and recovered areas not held by security forces for 30 years. The full range of military hardware has been used against the Islamist guerrillas, including artillery from 7 Parachute Regiment and the Royal Horse Artillery and four attacks mounted by Apache helicopters using machineguns, missiles and rockets.In one engagement troops pinned down by heavy gunfire called in artillery for the first time since the 2003 invasion of Iraq. The extent of the battle was illustrated yesterday when the military reported killing six Taliban fighters who had been firing mortars at a police station from the Kajaki dam in northern Helmand. After observing the gun crew for several days, the Paras obliterated their position in a matter of seconds with their own mortars late on Saturday night.
Led by troops from 3 Bn the Parachute Regiment, the operation has pushed into villages up to 75 miles north of the British base at Camp Bastion and has killed up to 40 Taliban fighters. Platoon houses, containing about 30 Paras, have been set up in at least five villages with troops driving out the Taliban and preventing them from returning.