LONDON, Feb 25 (KUNA) — British Royal Marines in Afghanistan have claimed a lack of troops means the Taliban are returning to ground won in recent battles.
The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) Wednesday denied the troops’ claims and said British forces had “much to be proud of” in what they had achieved in the country so far.
The MoD also refused to comment on reports today that senior officers fear Britons are fighting alongside the Taliban.
Today’s Independent newspaper reported that interceptions of communications show home-grown jihadists have travelled to Afghanistan to fight with the Taliban. One British Army officer told the newspaper “We are now involved in a kind of surreal mini-British civil war a few thousand miles away”.
It claimed briefing papers show some Taliban fighters active in Helmand and southern Afghanistan have “West Midlands (central England) accents”.
According to the daily, surveillance operations in Afghanistan have picked up the voices of jihadists speaking in West Midlands and Yorkshire (northern England) accents, a trend that has increased in the past few months.
Marines from 42 Commando, who were involved in a massive operation to flush out the enemy in Nad’Ali, north west of Lashkar Gar, last December, said they feared the Taliban were once again active in the area.
Lieutenant Colonel Doug Chalmers, commanding officer of 2nd Battalion, which is currently in Nad’Ali, admitted some Taliban had returned but stressed troops were pushing them back and deepening their area of control.
The assault, named “Operation Red Dagger”, was designed to provide better security for the city of Lashkar Gar.
Members of 42 Commando’s J Company were deployed to the Nad’Ali to prepare for the assault last October.
They came under constant fire and lost two men, Lt Col Chalmers said his troops were fighting the enemy on a daily basis in Nad’Ali but stressed they were continuing to push them back and had made great progress. He said “The Taliban are coming back but the question is are they pushing us out? No, they are not”.
But the Marines, who cannot be named, fear the Taliban are making progress.
When asked if more manpower was needed in the district of Nad’Ali, Lt Col Chalmers replied: “Counter insurgency is about density and duration”.
“Give me more and I will achieve more but the question is with what we have got, are we achieving? Yes, we are achieving” “I simply would not risk my people’s lives if I did not think we were achieving anything”, he added.