ISAF continues offensive operations in southeastern Afghanistan, as Operation Medusa follows on the heals of Operation Mountain Thrust
Canadian and Afghan forces have kicked off a new operation in Kandahar Province. Operation Medusa began on Saturday, and is aimed at rooting out Taliban forces Kandahar Province’s Panjwai and Zhari districts, the scene of much fighting over the past half year. The ISAF press release indicates “the Taliban incurred substantial losses yesterday, as indicated by the amount of ground gained by Afghan and ISAF troops, and a significant number of suspected insurgents were detained by the Afghan National Police.” An ISAF press release indicates “that more than 200 Taliban fighters have been killed since Operation Medusa began early Saturday morning.”
As always, you cannot discuss the conflict in Afghanistan without discussing the situation in Pakistan. The Taliban continues to consolidate power in the Northwest Frontier province and Baluchistan. Taliban volunteers are being trained, armed and funded from within Pakistan, and pushed into Afghanistan from Baluchistan and Bajaur, North and South Waziristan agencies. As the Taliban secures a truce and assurances the Pakistani Army cannot conduct operations in Waziristan, the fighting in Afghanistan will only worsen.
The Taliban continue to attempt to engage Coalition forces in massed formations, and continue to die in droves. Four Canadians were killed compared with over 200 Taliban, making the Taliban’s loss ratio of 50 to 1 Coalition soldier in this engagement. While their tactics are poor, the Taliban is accomplishing the desired effect of weakening the resolve of the NATO countries participating in Afghanistan.