US Marines, Afghan soldiers spearheading ground assault reach outer rim of Taliban-held town
By APSaturday, February 13, 2010
Major attack on Taliban stronghold launched
MARJAH, Afghanistan — U.S. Marines and Afghan soldiers have reached the outer rim of the Taliban-held town, as the major offensive begins to re-establish government control and break the extremists’ grip over their southern heartland.
Punching their way through a line of insurgent defenses that included mines and homemade bombs, the ground forces on Saturday reached the main canal that marks the northern entrance to Marjah.
The assault on Marjah is the biggest offensive since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan and is a test of NATO’s new strategy focused on protecting civilians. It is also the first major combat operation since President Barack Obama ordered 30,000 U.S. reinforcements here in December to try to turn the tide of the war.
