More good news from the Ghan

Geordie_3

Well-Known Member
British forces support Afghan-led clearance of insurgent stronghold 20/03/2012 Nearly 1,000 British soldiers joined a major operation planned and led by Afghan security forces to clear insurgents from a Taliban heartland. The British troops joined forces with 1,000 warriors from the Afghan National Army (ANA) and patrolmen from the Afghan Uniform Police (AUP) and the elite Afghan National Civil Order Police to clear insurgents from the area around Yakchal.The area, known as an insurgent heartland, lies to the east of Helmand province between Lashkar Gah Durai and the bustling town of Gereshk in the Nahr-e Saraj district. Gereshk is a security priority for Afghan forces in the coming year and Yakchal is close to both Highway One and Route 601 - putting insurgents in an ideal position to attack Afghan and ISAF forces using the routes.Operation NOW ROZ, or 'New Day', came just before today's Afghan new year celebrations. The operation was planned by Afghan National Army staff and was led by Brigadier General Sherin Shah, Commander of the 3rd Brigade of 215 Corps. It is the fourth major ANA operation in four months, with British troops deploying in support as part of the International Security Assistance Force. The three-day operation saw Afghan National Army troops clear south through the Yakchal area over several days, with the police following behind to search and clear more than 200 compounds.The Afghan troops detained two key improvised explosive device (IED) facilitators and made safe 44 IEDs. They also found seven bomb-making factories, and discovered over 145 kilograms of homemade explosives, 18 manufactured mines, 18 pressure-plate switches and 12 directional fragmentation charges.The Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) also found another five weapon caches with mortar barrels and ammunition, five rocket-propelled grenades, long-barrelled weapons and grenades. The most exceptional discovery was a Taliban command compound - seeded with deadly IEDs rigged to detonate the building and contents if the compound was raided.British troops from across Task Force Helmand contributed to the operation, but large-scale involvement came from the Queen's Royal Hussars, 1st Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment (1 YORKS), and 2nd Battalion The Rifles (2 RIFLES), who form the Brigade Advisory Group and are permanently attached to the local ANA brigade, as well as armoured infantry troops from 3rd Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment (3 YORKS) in Warrior armoured vehicles.Soldiers from 1st Battalion The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (1 PWRR) deployed in their role as advisors to the Afghan police involved in the operation, while the ANA Reconnaissance Tolay (Company) and the Brigade Reconnaissance Force, manned by soldiers from the Queen's Dragoon Guards and 1 YORKS, struck at insurgent targets to the south of the area of operations, supported by the Warthog armoured vehicle group.Counter-improvised explosive device specialists assisted their Afghan counterparts while engineers from 35 Engineer Regiment mentored Afghan engineers building a new checkpoint to maintain security in the area.The soldiers on the ground were also boosted by search dogs and intelligence and surveillance capabilities, with support from Warrior armoured vehicles.Lieutenant Colonel Bill Wright, the Commanding Officer of 2 RIFLES, said the ANA had set a 'staggering' pace throughout the winter:"This operation is the latest in a series of brigade-level operations planned and led by the ANA. During this winter they have conducted a brigade-level operation every three weeks - a quite staggering pace. They have kept us busy just trying to keep up with them. "This operation involved over 800 ANA and 200 AUP and is the most complex, largest and most dangerous that we have done by a huge margin."That they have the confidence to conceive, plan and lead such a large-scale operation into an area that the insurgents perceived as their safe haven and had heavily defended is clear proof of their increasing confidence and capability. They have been hugely impressive."Brigadier General Shah said:"The ANSF is ready to provide security for the Afghan people. Those who are fighting against our government need to come and join the peace process, as this can be the only solution."Brigadier Patrick Sanders, the Commander of the British-led Task Force Helmand, said the operation had demonstrated the huge level of confidence the Afghan forces now have.He said:"Throughout the winter, my commanders and I have worked closely with the Afghan forces and the real sense I have come away with, after months of planning and conducting operations together, is of a committed, intelligent force that has really pushed us to keep up with their aspirations."In this operation the ANSF have demonstrated huge confidence to take on an operation of such scale and complexity, straight into the most challenging place in their area. They have demonstrated their capacity to operate anywhere, with the insurgents powerless to stop them, and that is a real testament to their skill and professionalism."
 
Hi Geordie,
Whilst it is always good news when we achieve a coup in Afghanistan, rather than write it out in full, could you not point us to the link so that those that have time or have read it already can decide to open the link or not.
 
If you have access to the MoD Intra net then yes it'll work, but not sure how many one here can access that.
 
If you have access to the MoD Intra net then yes it'll work, but not sure how many one here can access that.

Was going to ask where you got the info from too - pity the BBC doesn't have a link to it too.

If you could either post or pm me the link i'd be interested to see what else is on the site. But in any event keep posting, those who want to read will and those who don't will learn not to open the Good Afgan news links - and nope, thats not a dig EMcC :)

atb

Scrun :british:
 
Sorry bud the point i was making was that maybe people cant access the information because theyre not supposed to be reading it !! Good or bad.
 
I am fortunate not to need the defenceintranet ;)
I have two neighbours that have done five tours between them so get quite a bit of feedback first hand.
Plus I get access to a few Regimental magazines with info on a regular basis.:)
 
Sorry bud the point i was making was that maybe people cant access the information because theyre not supposed to be reading it !! Good or bad.
There is no security caviat in the story, not even restricted. It is released by the DMC-News desk and I have no doubt that the story has been released to the press networks. That said you have a valid point and I will look into it.
 
There is no security caviat in the story, not even restricted. It is released by the DMC-News desk and I have no doubt that the story has been released to the press networks. That said you have a valid point and I will look into it.
Airbornes reply had also crossed my mind, anyhow it does makes interesting reading.
 
All cleared up

Craig,The stories that appear in the news section of the intranet from yesterday can be found on the MOD’s website so they are all in the public domain. Regards,Chris BanksDMC Online News Team
 
There is no security issues with the obviously well worded 'press releases'

These are in house propaganda for the MOD, as can be assessed from the language. No serving soldier wrote that. I use the word soldier to refer to a fighting man as opposed to a person serving in a press role.

Good to see the positive side though.
 
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