AUSTRALIAN special forces operating deep inside Taliban heartland in southern Afghanistan have inflicted critical damage to the insurgent's senior leadership severely restricting their ability to launch offensive action, the army's head of special operations said today.
Australian forces operating deep inside Afghanistan have inflicted critical damage to the Taliban's leadership, the army said today.
In a rare briefing to the media summarising 524 days of combat action since the special forces returned to fight in Oruzgan, Major-General Tim McOwan, pledged no let-up in the brutal counter-insurgency despite the onset of a harsh Afghan winter.
And he had this Christmas Message for the Taliban: "We will find you. We will hunt you down."
and to all a good night
Elite Special Air Service operatives and Commandos operating in some of the most gruelling conditions ever encountered had killed four senior Taliban leaders, captured seven others including one, Ahmad Shah, in his bed.
Another 180 lower ranking insurgents had been captured and handed over to Afghan authorities, Maj-Gen McOwan said.
The Australian Defence Force has 1100 troops deployed in Afghanistan with the main combat role undertaken by the 300-strong Special Operations Task Group.