Kabul, February 20: Some 400 Afghan police officers have begun moving into areas captured by US-led forces during a southern offensive against the Taliban, officials say.
Beginning Friday, Afghan police have been positioned in the Helmand province area of Marjah, to hold ground gained in Operation Moshtarak and to establish and retain control over key locations and main roads captured from the Taliban.
“Our coalition and ANA (Afghan National Army) forces will go deeper and the police have to restore security. They are going to restore government in Marjah,” said Marines Gunnery Sergeant Jose Causino, of Regimental Combat Team 7.
The British military said US-led forces and Afghan troops involved in the offensive which started last Saturday were facing increased resistance from the Taliban.
“We expected after the enemy had time to catch its breath, they would up the level of resistance, and that’s happened,” British commander Major Gen Gordon Messenger told a news briefing at the Foreign Office in London on Friday.
Meanwhile, the Taliban denied NATO claims that militants were using human shields, and were low on ammunition.
Taliban Spokesman Qari Yusuf Ahmadi told BBC the militants in Marjah had been able to get ammunition from captured NATO weapons.
More than 15,000 troops mainly form the US military have been involved in Operation Moshtarak — translated as together, or united — in the southern province of Helmand.
——–Agencies