ARGHANDAB OFFENSIVE: Following the Taliban's attack on a Kandahar prison last Friday, Afghan and Canadian NATO troops swept through the Arghandab district to dislodge insurgents. Thousands of refugees fled the area.

An estimated 600 Taliban fighters, including many from last week's mass jail break, took up positions in the Arghandab district's orchards and vineyards, 10 miles northwest of the city of Kandahar. Afghan and NATO troops launched a counterattack Wednesday that successfully pushed insurgents out of 10 villages. When residents fled the area, rebels planted landmines in their fields, which are ready for harvest.

Casualty Reports for Operation Doar Bukhou Differ

Officials agreed that the offensive—codenamed Operation Doar Bukhou, which means "turn around"—was successful. But reports of Taliban casualties differed widely:

• Kandahar provincial Governor Asadullah Khalid said hundreds of Taliban were killed and wounded.
• Afghan Defense Ministry spokesman General Mohammad Zahir Azimi said 56 enemy fighters were killed.
• A Taliban spokesperson acknowledged only six deaths.
• NATO civilian spokesman Mark Laity declined to give an estimate. "We don't have a definitive assessment," Laity said, "though casualties were inflicted." (Los Angeles Times, 6/19/08)

A civilian and two Afghan soldiers also died during the fighting.

Kandahar, Arghandab District Key to Taliban Strategy

Kandahar and the nearby Arghandab district are important to the Taliban for several reasons:

• Kandahar was the birthplace of the Taliban movement in 1996.
• Kandahar is the largest city in the area.
• The Arghandab district provides key access routes to Kandahar from Taliban strongholds in Pakistan.
• The fields, orchards and riverbanks of the Arghandab district give Taliban infiltrators plenty of cover.

NATO Members Question Handling of Taliban

According to some analysts, the Taliban's raid on the Kandahar prison last week and its attempt to take over the Arghandab district indicate its growing confidence.

At the same time, NATO deaths have increased, including Britain's first female casualty Wednesday. Some NATO member states questioned the way the Afghan mission is being handled.

"After the recent incident, the jailbreak, there was concern about our capabilities," Laity said. "This [the offensive against the insurgents] was a fast and effective response, I think something that all Afghans can take great heart from." (AFP, 6/18/08)

NATO Drops Leaflets of Hope to Arghandab Villagers

Hundreds of Taliban rebels swarmed into Arghandab villages Sunday night to plant landmines and destroy bridges.

Not all villagers fled in time, though.

To assure those villagers left behind, NATO dropped leaflets from the air Monday night. The leaflets said troops were "coming to remove the enemies of Afghanistan." The leaflets also recommended that residents stay indoors during the fighting. (CNN, 6/18/08)

Copyright © 2009 Informify

Question for Readers:

Do you think Operation Turn Around was a reasonable response to the Taliban Kandahar jail break last week?