By Xinhua
Kabul : The Afghan army and NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) have launched a major offensive against Taliban to regain the control of strategically important Musa Qala district, officials said.
“The Afghanistan National Army (ANA) in coordination with NATO forces launched a major offensive in southern Helmand province Friday to clean up the Musa Qala district from Taliban,” said Zahir Azimi defence ministry spokesman.
Addressing a joint press conference here Saturday with ISAF spokesman Carlos Branco, Azimi described Musa Qala as a centre of terrorists.
“Taliban and terrorists have no choice except to lay down arms and surrender, otherwise they have to be annihilated,” he said.
Taliban have been ruling Musa Qala since February 2007 when British troops pulled out of the district under a deal struck with the tribal elders.
Azimi said 12 insurgents have been killed during the operation and one taken captive, adding that one ISAF soldier died in a mine explosion.
Meanwhile, Taliban purported spokesman Qari Yusuf Ahmadi told Xinhua through phone from an unknown location that only five insurgents have been killed and six sustained injuries.
Ahmadi claimed that in a two-hour firefight with the forces Saturday, the Taliban killed 35 soldiers.
Azimi rejected the claim as groundless, saying there were no casualties on the troops during the conflict.
However, he admitted that two children were killed and three more civilians were injured in a clash with Taliban Friday as the militants have been using the civilians as human shield.
Located in the poppy-growing Helmand province, Musa Qala has enabled Taliban fighters to regroup themselves inside Afghanistan and influence neighbouring provinces of Uruzgan, Zabul, Kandahar and even Ghazni and Daikundi that created security problems, analysts said.
Taliban earlier vowed to resist the operation till last and would not allow the troops to establish their control there.
ISAF spokesman Carlos Branco told the press conference that the local residents have begun fleeing their houses to avoid casualties and so far some 300 people have left their homes.
“We are supporting Afghan National Army in the operation and the goal of this operation is to recapture Musa Qala,” Branco maintained.
Azimi also stressed the operation will continue “till the goal is achieved”.
“In order to assist the Afghan National Army, ISAF Forces have launched an insertion of troops by helicopter on the edge of the town,” the ISAF said.
Also, the US-led coalition forces said in a statement Saturday that they killed several militants in Musa Qala district Friday.
“Coalition Forces targeted a building on a compound in the Musa Qala district containing several militants, including the Taliban commander, during the course of operations,” the statement said.
The target, a Taliban commander, responsible for planning and conducting attacks against Afghan and coalition forces in Helmand’s several districts including Musa Qala, it said.
Afghan government forces backed by foreign troops have intensified operations against anti-government elements across the country over the months as the Taliban were trying to overrun some districts in western and southern provinces through attacks.
The Taliban, removed from power by the US-led invasion in late 2001, has waged years-long insurgency against the Afghan administration and continued to attack government forces and foreign troops.
The war-torn country witnessed the bloodiest violence in 2007 as rising violence killed over 6,000 people, mostly insurgents.