Surprisingly accurate fire by Taliban marksmen,
together with intricate webs of improvised explosive devices, has
slowed the progress of the offensive, now in its seventh day.
Commanders say key goals are being met, but acknowledge that clearing
operations will probably take weeks.
Amid what a military statement described as
“determined pockets of resistance” by insurgents in and around the
town, six service members from NATO’s International Security Assistance
Force were killed Thursday by explosions and small-arms fire. That
doubled the coalition death toll for the offensive, bringing it to 11
Western troops and one Afghan soldier.
Taliban sharpshooters had long had a reputation for
being anything but. But coalition field officers say they have been
encountering snipers considerably more skilled than those seen
previously — in part, perhaps, because the insurgents had many months
to prepare for this battle.
The Marines heavily publicized plans to seize
Marjah, in hopes that less committed insurgents would leave, and
civilians in the area would be spared an even bigger battle. As it is,
the offensive is the largest since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion that
drove the Taliban from power.
The assault began
being airlifted over Taliban front lines and miles of minefields and
dropped inside the town. On Friday, that tactic was repeated, on a much
smaller scale, when elite Marine reconnaissance squads were airdropped
into areas behind Taliban lines where snipers were known to be
operating, The Associated Press reported.
Scattered clashes, mainly small-scale firefights and ambushes, continued throughout the day Friday, the military said.
Coalition officials hope attention can be shifted
soon from the military phase of the operation to governance-building.
As soon as Marjah is deemed secure enough, a newly appointed deputy
district governor will be brought in to begin overseeing the
restoration of public services. During the time that the town has been
a Taliban stronghold, schools closed and government authority vanished.
Elsewhere in Nad Ali district, where Marjah is
located, the military said, “stabilization projects” such as repairing
canals and opening schools have begun. Military officials have also
been attending shuras, traditional tribal gatherings where local
decision-making occurs.
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