Afghan commandos kill 3 insurgents during combat operation in Musa Qal’ah

HELMAND PROVINCE, AFGHANISTAN

11.22.2013

Story by Staff Sgt. Richard Lower 

NATO Special Operations Component Command-Afghanistan

HELMAND PROVINCE, Afghanistan – Afghan commandos killed three insurgents Nov. 17 in Musa Qal’ah district’s Mosulmani village during a clearing operation to weaken insurgent activities.

Commandos of the 7th Special Operations Kandak began to clear the village to support a larger clearing operation by the 215th Afghan National Army Corps.

“This [operation] is a great example of how the 7th SOK can support [the ANA] in operations,” said Maj. Gen. Sayeed Maluk, 215th ANA Corps commander. “They have a unique capability.”

Taliban forces tried to stop the commandos advance throughout the entire operation. On one occasion, the insurgents injured two civilians with launched grenade attacks. 7th SOK forces responded with controlled and precise action, killing three insurgents and providing medical aid to the wounded civilians.

The commandos also detained four suspected insurgents, trying to store more than two dozen rocket propelled grenades, homemade explosives, assault rifles, a sniper rifle, and multiple hand-held radios.

Denying the Taliban’s movement throughout the region is very important in the Corps effort to expand security checkpoints in the area, said Maluk, crediting the mission’s success to the Commando’s exceptional skills. That is why the general requested the Commandos to disrupt insurgent activity in Mosulmani.

A similar combined clearing operation in October halted the Taliban’s attempts to control Musa Qal’ah during the 2013 fighting season. During that operation, the commandos helped clear the district’s highest mountain where they planted their country’s flag atop its summit in an act of nationalism.

• Date Taken: 11.22.2013
• Date Posted: 11.22.2013 00:47
• Story ID: 117200
• Location: HELMAND PROVINCE, AF