Operation Moshtarak Thread: Afghan flag hoisted over Marjah

[sherdil76]

They did some mistakes? Is it safe if I say the TTP are good organization and good people, but they have done some mistakes just like the others?

First please keep in mind that TTP and Taliban in Afghanistan are different, and they even have different ideaologies about jihad in this region, TTP are said to be funded by enemies of Islam like notorious RAW and mossad, some claim that western interest also want to destablise Pakistan, which TTP is actively pursuing with help of strategic intel they get (from, may be by hacking the CIA portal)

well Taliban in afghanistan want to clear their land from illeagal occupation from enemies, and their jihad is validated and therefore supported by majority of Muslims accross the world, though any unIslamic act is always condenmed.

Secondly; everybody do mistake in his/her life, nobody is pure except the Muhammad (PBUH) and other Prophets that Almighty sent to us, but a shame that christian make fun of Marriam (Mary) and Essa (Jesus) and jews... well they are above all

 

[Always Neutral]

First please keep in mind that TTP and Taliban in Afghanistan are different, and they even have different ideaologies about jihad in this region

WHO SAID SO. GEN SHUJAT PASHA HEAD OF ISI ? HERE IS WHAT HE SAID

"For any turnaround, the Pakistani state needs to initiate a radical course correction. The state cannot neutralize the insurgency in FATA or elsewhere within the existing ideological paradigms, articulated eloquently by ISI chief Lt. Gen. Ahmed Shuja Pasha, who described Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud - the Pakistan Army's most relentless tormentor - as a "true patriot". Shuja Pasha also defended the Taliban in an interview with Der Spiegel, stating: "Shouldn't they be allowed to think and say what they please? They believe that jihad is their obligation. Isn't that freedom of opinion?"

IS THE ISI CHIEF AN IDIOT

, TTP are said to be funded by enemies of Islam like notorious RAW and mossad, some claim that western interest also want to destablise Pakistan, which TTP is actively pursuing with help of strategic intel they get (from, may be by hacking the CIA portal)

YES YOU WOULD KNOW AS YOU HANDLE THEIR BANK ACCOUNTS FROM RAW ?

YOUR ISI CHIEF CALLED THEM PATRIOTS. EGG ON YOUR FACE?

well Taliban in afghanistan want to clear their land from illeagal occupation from enemies, and their jihad is validated and therefore supported by majority of Muslims accross the world, though any unIslamic act is always condenmed.

Secondly; everybody do mistake in his/her life, nobody is pure except the Muhammad (PBUH) and other Prophets that Almighty sent to us, but a shame that christian make fun of Marriam (Mary) and Essa (Jesus) and jews... well they are above all

SO FORGIVE THE TTP WHEN THEY KILL YOUR SOLDIERS, DOWN A COBRA AND MARTYR A BRIGADIER.

Regards

 

[sherdil76]

Fascinating graphs Sherdil76.

"Thirty six percent reduction? I am all too aware of these statistical gimmicks..."

so UN reports are gimmick... lol... thats true only what bloody yankees thinks are facts rest are just the gimmick

You seem to be regressing with time. Last I saw 2007. Where's 2009? Too gimmicky?

... please share that if you have that info... maybe you are the one who actually managing the actual data as UN is just a gimmick studo

"...their big mouths never stop talking dirty about Taliban."

The taliban are scum. There's so much to talk dirty about.

here come the american angels... new kinda, world has never heard about, actively involved in spreading love across the globe.

"...concept of Punishment is to impose something unpleasant or aversive on a person in response to disobedience, defiance, or behavior deemed morally wrong by law. which act as a measure of prevention to those who are contemplating illicit/unwanted activity"

She got your message loud and clear. She'd like to say she's sorry for attending school and doing something "...deemed morally wrong by law" but it hurts too much. Can she have her face back now?

did you forgot to mention that in America, a woman is raped every 2 minutes, according to the U.S. Department of Justice... oops

Thanks.

... we'v got the american message loud and clear

 

[Ahmad]

First please keep in mind that TTP and Taliban in Afghanistan are different, and they even have different ideaologies about jihad in this region, TTP are said to be funded by enemies of Islam like notorious RAW and mossad, some claim that western interest also want to destablise Pakistan, which TTP is actively pursuing with help of strategic intel they get (from, may be by hacking the CIA portal)

well Taliban in afghanistan want to clear their land from illeagal occupation from enemies, and their jihad is validated and therefore supported by majority of Muslims accross the world, though any unIslamic act is always condenmed.

Secondly; everybody do mistake in his/her life, nobody is pure except the Muhammad (PBUH) and other Prophets that Almighty sent to us, but a shame that christian make fun of Marriam (Mary) and Essa (Jesus) and jews... well they are above all

Dear Sherdil,

You can draw a line of difference between Tehrik Taliban Pakisan and Afghani Taliban, but the fact is that both of these forces are destroying afghanistan and paksitan. if the taliban had a tiny bit of love for afghanistan, they would have layed down their weapon and joined the political process. it is very easy for people who have weapon in their hand to disturb the peace in a country, that doesnt mean they are powerful or loved. give arms and amunitions to 50 thieves in your city and you'll see how much of a disaster they would bring and prove theri presence and destructive power there, but it doesnt mean all the city is theive and people are supporter of the theives. anyone who have agenda of destruction and weapon in hand can do a fantastic job to ruin a country/place, no matter how unpopular they are. the chanlleging task is rebuilding and construction. this is the same about TTP or AT, they can easily distrb people's lives, no question about it. AT are themselves puppets so their claim of liberating Afghans from the others is nothing but a laughable matter.

you said about the mistakes, if you call the actions of AT a mistake then the actions of TTP is also a mistake, because i dont see a difference between the actions of these 2 groups. the taliban right from their emergence have killed the innocent poeple. if they had killed the military peoole i woundt care about it, if they had killed the stupid NA soldiers i wouldnt care about or if the NA soldierss had killed the taliban soldiers i again would care about it, they chose to be fighters and the fighters' most likely to die. but these taliban killed peopole based on shia-sunni prejudice, they entered people's houses and masacared civilians, they beheaded journalists, they beheaded teachers in schools, the suicide bombing among the civilians and alot more, do you call all of these as mistakes?

 

[pkd]

12+5=17 innocent killed

NATO kills 5 civilians

KABUL — NATO says an airstrike against suspected insurgents has killed five civilians in Kandahar province in southern Afghanistan.

Monday's accident follows the deaths on Sunday of 12 Afghans, who were killed by two U.S. rockets in neighboring Helmand province. Some 15,000 U.S., Afghan and other international forces are in Helmand on the third day of a major offensive to reclaim the town of Marjah from Taliban control.

Civilian casualties are a sensitive issue in the eight-year-old war.

A NATO statement says a joint patrol of NATO and Afghan troops saw individuals digging along a path in the Zhari district of Kandahar province and mistakenly concluded that they were planting an improvised explosive device. Two civilians were wounded in the strike.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

MARJAH, Afghanistan (AP) — Sniper teams attacked U.S. Marines and Afghan troops across the Taliban haven of Marjah, as several gun battles erupted Monday on the third day of a major offensive to seize the extremists' southern heartland.

Multiple firefights broke out in different neighborhoods as American and Afghan forces worked to clear out pockets of insurgents and push slowly beyond parts of the town they have claimed. With gunfire coming from several directions all day long, troops managed to advance only 500 yards (meters) deeper as they fought off small squads of Taliban snipers.

"There's still a good bit of the land still to be cleared," said Capt. Abraham Sipe, a Marine spokesman. "We're moving at a very deliberative pace."

The massive offensive in the Marjah area — the largest Taliban stronghold and a key opium trafficking hub — involves about 15,000 U.S., Afghan and British troops and is the biggest joint operation since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan.

On Monday, Afghan military officials gave a more optimistic view of the progress being made, with Brig. Gen. Sher Mohammad Zazai saying Afghan and NATO forces have largely contained the insurgents and succeeded in gaining trust from residents, who have pointed out mine locations.

"Today there is no major movement of the enemy. South of Marjah they are very weak. There has been low resistance. Soon we will have Marjah cleared of enemies," Zazai said at a briefing in Lashkar Gah, the provincial capital of Helmand province. He added that only three Afghan troops had been injured.

Interior Minister Hanif Atmar said he expected some insurgent fighters had already fled the area in advance of the offensive, possibly heading to the Pakistan border.

The enemy "had ample time to flee. Our intention was known to both our public and the enemy," he said.

However, the mission faced a setback on Sunday when two U.S. rockets slammed into a home outside Marjah, killing 12 civilians. NATO said Monday that the rockets missed their target by about 600 meters, or about a third of a mile. NATO had earlier said the rockets missed their target by just 300 meters.

Six children were among the dead from the rocket strike, a NATO military official confirmed Monday, speaking on condition of anonymity because the information had not been formally released.

British Chief of the Defense Staff Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup called the off-target strike a "very serious setback" in efforts to win the support of local communities.

"This operation ... is not about battling the Taliban. It is about protecting the local population and you don't protect them when you kill them," he said in an interview with the BBC.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who had pleaded with NATO and Afghan forces to be cautious about civilian casualties ahead of the offensive, has called for a thorough investigation into the airstrike.

Differing accounts have emerged about the details. On Monday, Afghan Interior Minister Atmar said at the briefing in Lashkar Gah that nine civilians and two or three insurgents were among those killed, suggesting that insurgents were firing at troops from a civilian home.

"The reality is this ... the enemy did capture some civilians in their house and they were firing at our forces from this house. Unfortunately our forces didn't know that civilians were living in that house," he said.

The top NATO commander in Afghanistan, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, apologized for "this tragic loss of life" and suspended use of the sophisticated rocket system pending a thorough review.

The rockets were fired by the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS, at insurgents who had attacked U.S. and Afghan forces, wounding one American and one Afghan, NATO said. However, the projectiles veered off target and blasted the home in northern Nad Ali district, which includes Marjah, NATO added.

Karzai spokesman Waheed Omar said the president "is very upset about what happened" and has been "very seriously conveying his message" of restraint "again and again."

Inside Marjah, sporadic firefights increased by midday. One armored column came under fire from at least three separate sniper teams, slowing its progress. One of the teams came within 155 feet (50 meters) and started firing.

"It's a pretty busy day but we expected that because we are penetrating," said Lt. Col. Brian Christmas, commander of 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines, referring to a half-dozen major gun battles throughout town.

Marines said their ability to fight back has been tightly constrained by strict new rules of engagement that make their job more difficult and dangerous. Under the rules, troops cannot fire at people unless they commit a hostile act or show hostile intent.

"I understand the reason behind it, but it's so hard to fight a war like this," said Lance Corp. Travis Anderson, 20, from Altoona, Iowa. "They're using our rules of engagement against us," he said, stating that his platoon had repeatedly seen men dropping their guns into ditches before walking away to melt among civilians.

Allied officials have reported two coalition deaths so far — one American and one Briton killed Saturday. Afghan officials said at least 27 insurgents have been killed in the offensive.

Separately in southern Afghanistan, NATO said two service members died Sunday — one from small-arms fire and the other from a roadside bomb explosion. Both were British, according to the British government.

Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
The Associated Press: NATO says airstrike in Kandahar kills 5 civilians

 

[pkd]

US fears being bogged down in Marjah as snipers hit major offensive

US Marines and Afghan troops were making slow progress as they came under attack from snipers on the third day of a major offensive to seize the Taleban’s stronghold in southern Afghanistan.

Multiple firefights broke out in different areas in and around Marjah, the last militant stronghold in the country’s most violent province, Helmand. The US troops leading Operation Moshtarak — “Togetherness” — advanced only 500 yards today. Marine units twice tried to capture the town’s central bazaar, only to be pushed back.

Coming under heavy fire and sniper attacks, and faced with booby-trapped buildings, the US Marines were forced to call in Harrier jets and attacks helicopters armed with Hellfire missiles.

“There’s still a good bit of the land to be cleared,” said Captain Abraham Spice, a spokesman of the US Marines. “We’re moving at a very deliberative pace.

“In many parts of Marjah, we have seen very little opposition. There are areas where Marines have met with stiff resistance, but they're making steady progress throughout the area.”

US officers from Bravo Company 1st Battalion 6th Marine told The Times that the fighting on the first day of the operation was as intense as any that the same unit faced during the infamous clearance of Fallujah in Iraq in 2004.

They said that Taleban insurgents displayed very high levels of tactical awareness and training — including “walking” mortar fire onto the Marines and persistent and highly accurate sniper fire.

The massive offensive in Marjah — the largest Taleban stronghold and its main opium production area — involves about 15,000 US, British and Afghan troops. It is the biggest joint operation since the 2001 invasion that overthrew the Taleban. The troops are fighting over an area of less than 100 square miles, with a population of 80,000.

The slow progress strongly suggests that the campaign to seize insurgent-held areas ahead of a the troop withdrawal date of 2011 set by President Obama could slip.

US Marines said their ability to fight back has been tightly constrained by strict new rules of engagement that make their task more difficult and dangerous. Under the rules, troops cannot fire at people unless they commit a hostile act or show intent.

Corporal Travis Anderson, 20, from Iowa, said that his platoon had repeatedly seen Afghan fighters dropping their guns into ditches before melting away into the civilian population.

“It’s hard to fight a war like this,” he said. “They’re using our rules of engagement against us.”

There was further fallout from the Nato missile strike that killed 12 civilians yesterday, an error that dismayed General Stanley McChrystal, the US and Nato ground commander. He has repeatedly stressed that a failure to win over the civilian population will doom the military campaign to failure.

A Nato official confirmed that six of the dead were children. Hamid Karzai, the Afghan President, called for a thorough investigation.

Today, there was further embarrassment as it emerged that a Nato airstrike in Kandahar had killed a further five civilians and wounded two. An Isaf spokesman said the group of civilians was deliberately targeted under the mistaken belief that they were planting roadside bombs. The troops were not taking part in Operation Moshtarak.

In a blow to British forces, a soldier from 36 Engineer Regiment was hilled by a roadside bomb near Sangin, in Helmand. He, too, was not participating in Operation Moshtarak. The latest fatality comes after two British soldiers were killed in Afghanistan yesterday.

Major General Nick Carter, commander of Nato forces in southern Afghanistan, said: “You won’t know how successful you’ve been probably for about eight weeks, downstream. The measure of it will be the extent to which the population is entirely on our side.”

Afghan security chiefs gave a more optimistic assessment of the assault on Marjah. They said Government troops faced “sporadic resistance”. The Defence Minister, Abdul Rahim Wardak, insisted most of the insurgents had either “hidden or escaped”, and invited the Taleban fighters to swap sides.

“This is your country,” he said in a message to them. “Take part in its development.” Three suspected bomb makers were identified via biometric tests and arrested while trying to escape disguised as civilian refugees but many more had fled undetected, Interior Minister Hanif Atmar said.

“The enemy had ample time to flee the area,” he said. “There are reports that we can’t confirm at this point that some of them have been reported to have crossed the border.” He promised more than 1,000 new policemen for the province and said half of the existing force had been vetted and drugs tested. The other half would be checked by April.

“Your best option is to take advantage of the Afghan government’s peace and reconciliation process,” Mr Atmar told the insurgents at a press conference in Lashkar Gah. “There’s no way you can win.” This is not the first time Taleban fighters have melted away in the face of an overwhelming Nato force and commanders warn it is only a matter of time before they regroup and launch guerrilla-style attacks.

“We will turn Marjah a hell for them,” Mullah Abdul Razaq Akhend, the top Taleban commander in Marjah, vowed. “Marjah is not a strategic place for us, it is not as important as the Nato forces are propagating about. They want to put curtain in front of their previous failures by giving this operation a big name. We have more important and bigger districts in Helmand and other provinces in our hand that are more important and much bigger. They want to stop our spring offensive by this operation which is in two months, but they should know they wont be able to do anything. We will finally defeat them."
US fears being bogged down in Marjah as snipers hit major offensive - Times Online

 

[Ahmad]

I just saw the news and heard about the 5 civilians killed, it is the civilians who are taking all the hit from all sides.

 

[S-2]

"... we'v got the american message loud and clear"

I doubt you remember all of the message.

Call me when those men who disfigured that child get three years in prison for their actions-

Lyndie England Convicted and Dishonorably Discharged-MSN

Personally, I'd permit that child to pour acid in the eyes of each where they captured.

Those men Lyndie England ridiculed will survive without permanent disfigurement. That young girl disfigured by acid possesses almost no chance of a happy future in Afghan society and will bear the scars from her tormentors for life.

For myself, they shall be red badges of courage and she and others like her will always be in my prayers.

Thanks.

 

[The Patriot]

... we'v got the american message loud and clear

The incident of Abu Gharaib was not sanctioned by the state of America and they punished those who did it. but the ones done by Taliban are not individual acts but rather state sanctioned. in fact its the ideology and state policy of Taliban to use violence. you should know the difference between the two cases. but i am certain you will look the other way.

 

[TaimiKhan]

"dont you think laden is not a salafi terrorist?"

Naw. OBL is a MODERN guy. He's a wahabbi terrorist.

Thanks.

A terrorist is a terrorist, there is no wahabi, shia or sunni terrorist.

You and your govt protects, buys oil and directly funding the same so called Wahabi terrorists, so what does it makes you or USA??

Christian or Jew terrorists financing Wahabi terrorists to spread terrorism around the world. ??????

So next time, if you call someone wahabi terrorist, do remember, its you and your dollars which are supporting them, so it makes you no different then OBL.

 

[TaimiKhan]

bro, my thread http://www.defence.pk/forums/general-images-multimedia/47176-jahaliat-ignorance-its-highest.html was closed without justification as someone thought that was for sectarian flaming, but the one who put racist comments was neither warned nor his comments deleted... i think MODs ko matt jagaoo, vo kissi zarrori kaam se soo rahay hain

Your thread got closed, becoz its message was not sectarian, but it had changed into one by posters. So understand things before you open it up.

And mods are human being too, with real lives, they can't be on the forum 24/7, and your job is to report a post, not by writing in big red mods take action gonna make the mod run to the thread, for reporting we have the button which can be pressed and post reported.

So next time before you criticize do think, as you are already on a very tight leash and when these same mods wake up, you won't be left to be around.

 

[S-2]

"You and your govt protects, buys oil and directly funding the same so called Wahabi terrorists, so what does it makes you or USA??

Christian or Jew terrorists financing Wahabi terrorists to spread terrorism around the world. ??????

So next time, if you call someone wahabi terrorist, do remember, its you and your dollars which are supporting them, so it makes you no different then OBL."

Well, what goes around in the form of cash for oil, comes around in the form of wahabbist donations to the Muslim Brotherhood-the forebearers of Sayyid Qutb, its leading intellectual and mentor of Ayman Zawahiri.

Not all wahabbist are terrorists. In fact the vast, vast majority are not. If they're terrorists and from Saudi Arabia, you can just about, however, BET that they are wahabbist by religious orientation even if followers of Sayyid Qutb.

Thanks.

 

[fatman17]

ASIA PACIFIC
Date Posted: 12-Feb-2010


Jane's Defence Weekly

NATO forces forego surprise in new Afghan offensive

Tim Ripley JDW Correspondent - London

Key Points
ISAF forces are beginning a major operation against the Taliban to secure the town of Marjah in central Helmand province

Public warnings of the offensive are designed to minimise civilian casualties, but there are mixed views on how the Taliban will react


In a significant change of tactics NATO forces in Afghanistan have issued public warnings to local civilians ahead of an offensive by some 15,000 US, UK, Canadian and Afghan troops to seize control of the town of Marjah, in central Helmand province, from Taliban insurgents.

The decision drew criticism from some parliamentarians in the UK, but senior NATO commanders defended the move because they hoped it would allow the town's civilian population to flee to safety, thus reducing non-combatant casualties. NATO commanders are expecting heavy fighting with an estimated 1,000 to 2,000 'hardcore' Taliban fighters occupying the town, which is 10 miles to the west of the provincial capital, Lashkar Gar.

Insurgents are also expected to plant large numbers of improvised explosive devices (IED) to inflict casualties on NATO troops.

"We're not interested in how many Taliban we kill," US Army General Stanley McChrystal, commander of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan, said on 4 February at the NATO summit in Istanbul, Turkey. "It is a little unconventional to do it this way. We're trying to signal to the Afghan people that we are expanding security where they live. We are trying also to signal to the insurgents, the Taliban primarily in this area and the narco-traffickers, that it's about to change."

In a statement issued on 10 February the UK Ministry of Defence said: "It is a conscious decision by the operational commanders in theatre to signal that operations are about to take place and to give the Taliban in those areas a choice, [to] either to put down their weapons, choose not to fight and become part of legitimate society, or if they choose to fight, they'll be subjected to overwhelming force and will be defeated.

"Operation 'Moshtarak' ('Together' in Dari) was never going to be a surprise; the scale of our intent is clear for all to see. ISAF troops take the issue of civilian casualties seriously and demonstrate 'courageous restraint' if there is any risk to civilian life. Publicising the operation in advance reduces the risk to ordinary Afghans by allowing them to make arrangements to ensure their safety."

ISAF troops began what were termed 'shaping' operations during the first week of February, which culminated in US troops approaching the southern outskirts of Marjah on 11 February. It is intended that a large contingent of Afghan troops will garrison the town after its capture.

The first phase of the operation saw about 400 US troops from the US Army's 5th Stryker Brigade as well as 250 Afghan soldiers and their 30 Canadian trainers move into positions northeast of the town. At the same time UK troops from the Grenadier Guards battlegroup, supplemented by a company from the Royal Welsh regiment and a company from the Scots Guards, partnered at company level with Afghan troops, mounted an operation around the town of Nad-i-Ali, northwest of Marjah. These operations were supported by heavy fixed-wing, attack helicopter and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) activity.

The main assault force, led by the 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, and the 3rd Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment, from the US Marine Corps' 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, is driving on Marjah from the south. The brigade's commander, Brigadier General Larry Nicholson, had previously conducted a series of meetings with local elders to warn them about the offensive, promising that any battle damage to homes, farms and businesses would be repaired and compensation paid.

 

[fawwaxs]

Civilian death toll rises in Afghan offensive

Three more Afghan civilians were killed in the assault on a southern Taliban stronghold, NATO forces said Tuesday, highlighting the toll on the population from an offensive aimed at making them safer.

The deaths _ in three separate incidents _ come after two errant U.S. missiles struck a house on the outskirts of the town of Marjah on Sunday, killing 12 people, half of them children. Afghan officials said Monday three Taliban fighters were in the house at the time of the attack.

About 15,000 NATO and Afghan troops are taking part in the massive offensive around Marjah _ the linchpin of the Taliban logistical and opium poppy smuggling network in the militant-influenced south. U.S. Marines are spearheading the assault.

The offensive is the biggest joint operation since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan, and a major test of a retooled NATO strategy to focus on protecting civilians, rather than killing insurgents.

But in the fourth day of an assault that could take weeks, the drumbeat of gunfire and controlled detonations of planted bombs sparked fears that civilians will bear the burden of the fight.

In two of the incidents NATO confirmed Tuesday, Afghan men came toward NATO forces and ignored shouts and hand signals to stop, NATO said. Troops opened fire and killed them.

In the third incident, two Afghan men were caught in the crossfire between insurgents and NATO forces. Both were wounded and one died of his injuries despite being given medical care, NATO said.

Taliban fighters have stepped up counterattacks against Marines and Afghan soldiers in Marjah, slowing the allied advance to a crawl despite Afghan government claims the insurgents were broken and on the run.

Though NATO has only confirmed 15 civilian deaths, an Afghan human rights group said Tuesday that they have counted 19 civilians killed since the beginning of the operation. Four of those were people who were caught in the crossfire when they had to leave their homes for various reasons.

"Their neighbors tell us that the bodies are outside and they want someone to pick them up. They say they're scared if they go outside they will also be shot dead," said Ajmal Samadi, the director of Afghanistan Rights Monitor. It was unclear whether NATO or insurgent forces were to blame for the deaths, he said.

In the streets, Taliban fighters appeared to be slipping under the cover of darkness into compounds already deemed free of weapons and explosives, then opening fire on the Marines from behind U.S. lines.

Explosions continued around town Tuesday as Marines endeavored to push further through streets littered with bombs and booby traps.

Squads with Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines fanned out into compounds to search for explosive devices and insurgents, as an armored-vehicle convoy moved forward. A mine-roller leading the way continuously detonated planted bombs as it advanced.

The Marines' goal for many days has been to link up with other companies that airdropped into the city Saturday, but progress has been slow.

"It's really crucial that we get through today," said Lima Company Capt. Joshua Winfrey.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai approved the assault on Marjah only after instructing NATO and Afghan commanders to be careful about harming civilians. "This operation has been done with that in mind," the top NATO commander, U.S. Gen. Stanley McChrystal, said Monday.

Despite those instructions, NATO reported its first civilian deaths Sunday, saying two U.S. rockets veered off target by up to 600 yards (meters) and slammed into a home _ killing six children and six adults.

In London, Britain's top military officer, Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup, called the missile strike a "very serious setback" to efforts to win the support of locals, who are from the same Pashtun ethnic group as the Taliban.

NATO suspended the use of the rocket system that killed the civilians following the 12 deaths, pending an investigation.

In a separate incident unrelated to the Marjah offensive, a NATO airstrike in neighboring Kandahar province killed five civilians and wounded two. NATO said in a statement they were mistakenly believed to have been planting roadside bombs.

Afghan commanders spoke optimistically about progress in Marjah, a town of about 80,000 people seen as key to securing the restive south.

"It is very weak resistance, sporadic resistance by the enemy in some villages in Marjah area," Chief of Army Staff Bismullah Mohammadi said. Other officials have said Taliban fighters were fleeing across the border and the town should soon be cleared of insurgents.

In Marjah, however, there has been little sign the Taliban are broken. Instead, small, mobile teams of insurgents have repeatedly attacked U.S. and Afghan troops with rocket, rifle and rocket-propelled grenade fire in recent days.

Taliban fighters moved close enough to the main road to fire repeatedly on columns of mine-clearing vehicles.

Allied officials have reported only two coalition deaths so far _ one American and one Briton killed Saturday. There have been no reports of wounded. Afghan officials said at least 27 insurgents were killed so far in the offensive.

Two NATO service members died Monday from bomb strikes in Helmand; neither was part of the Marjah offensive, military spokesman Sgt. Kevin Bell said. NATO did not provide their nationalities.

As long as the town remains unstable, NATO officials cannot move to the second phase _ restoring Afghan government control and rushing in aid and public services to win over inhabitants who have been living under Taliban rule for years.

___

Associated Press Writers Heidi Vogt in Kabul and Rahim Faiez in Shorabak Airbase in Helmand province contributed to this report.

 

[fatman17]

^^^one can take all the 'precautions' in the theater of war, but the unfortunate reality of war is that 'innocent' civilians will lose their lives.