Commandos take the fight to Taliban in Farah

Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Matthew Klene | Commandos from the 9th Special Operations Kandak eliminated 36 Taliban fighters assaulting the Anar Dara District Center, Farah province, Afghanistan, Mar. 12, 2018. Within one week of the Kabul Peace Conference, the Taliban launched multiple attacks in Farah. The Taliban attacks continue to fail in their stated aim of holding key district centers. In the photo above, an Afghan Commando raises the national flag over a compound in Farah province. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Matthew Klene)  

AFGHANISTAN

04.11.2018

Story by Martha Schaeffer 

NATO Special Operations Component Command-Afghanistan

Commandos from 4th and 9th Special Operations Kandaks conducted multi-day offensive operations against the Taliban in Piyo village, Bala Boluk district, Farah province, Afghanistan, Apr. 9-11, 2018. Bala Boluk is the province’s economic center of gravity, hosting the TAPI pipeline and Farah River Dam development projects in Shewan.

During a series of day and night-time raids, the Commandos eliminated five Taliban fighters, detained two, and destroyed a defensive fighting position. Three kg of heroin and black tar heroin were also seized and destroyed during the raids.

Ongoing ANDSF operations in Farah, combined with recent airstrikes on Taliban narcotics production facilities, are designed to cripple the Taliban’s main funding line – narcotics production.

"The Taliban will have no safe havens. We will continue to exploit their networks and decimate their ability to develop narcotics. By cutting off the Taliban’s economic lifelines, we also reduce their ability to continue these terrorist activities." said Maj. Gen. James Hecker, commander, 9th Air and Space Expeditionary Task Force-Afghanistan.

• Date Taken: 04.11.2018
• Date Posted: 04.13.2018 07:05
• Story ID: 272939
• Location: AF