UK Ministry of Defence,
Royal Marines have pushed deeper into southern Afghanistan's rural Kandahar province with a helicopter assault directly onto insurgent positions, supporting a wider Canadian initiative to redraw the boundaries of ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) influence in the region.
Instead of employing conventional tactics of moving in from secured flank areas, Operation Janubi Tapu (Southern Vulture) has seen the Royal Marines of 42 Commando Group inserted by a number of helicopter waves straight into an area that has been regarded by the insurgents as a safe haven.
Once landed, the Marines used intelligence leads to immediately focus their attention on compounds of interest within the rural conurbations and moved sensitively amongst the local population, searching for insurgent weapons and improvised explosive device-making equipment.
After some rapid engagements with insurgents, the Marines established a dominating presence and blocked further insurgent movement enabling them to carry on conducting searches. This resulted in finding a vast amount of bomb-making material and weaponry, which subsequently led to a huge degree of exploitable information and intelligence on the insurgents' capability across the whole of southern Afghanistan, not just Kandahar province.
Over 600kg of home-made explosives and 3.8km of wire used for improvised explosive device initiation was seized, along with numerous mines, small arms and ammunition, all of which has now been removed from the area or destroyed.
Throughout the operation the commandos kept the upper hand through rapid helicopter manoeuvre and night infiltration.
And the following day a motorbike-borne suicide bomber was apprehended by the marines before he was able to detonate.
The Commanding Officer of 42 Commando Group, Lieutenant Colonel Charlie Stickland RM, said:
“We sought to use true commando tactics on this operation using a helicopter assault and light, agile forces to land into the heart of the insurgents' safe haven. I wanted to completely change the dynamics in the key area, and through rapid manoeuvre and the robust but culturally sensitive approach of the marines, we achieved our aim.
“Each time he took us on he lost; we detained some significant players with a supporting evidential chain and removed a huge quantity of munitions from the battlefield. Importantly, we also left the area having placed constant doubt in the insurgents' mind and reassured the locals that ISAF forces are fair, honest and targeted in what we do. An outstanding operation by the 'smiley boys' of 42 Commando Group.”
42 Commando Group have been in Afghanistan for two-and-a-half months and are deployed as Regional Battle Group (South), working directly for the Regional Command (South) HQ in Kandahar. They are working on a rotation basis with other national contingents within ISAF in different areas of southern Afghanistan, as ISAF continues to push out its sphere of influence into new territory and has already worked with the Canadian, Dutch, and American contingents, on operations spread across a vast spectrum.
Tasks range from clearing insurgent safe havens to assisting in delivery of voter registration and humanitarian relief before winter. They are often the first ISAF forces local people have encountered.
By descending rapidly into the local villages and engaging immediately with the population in a culturally sensitive manner the commandos have created a first impression and a space in which to operate which has allowed freedom of movement to search for and confront the insurgent threat, allowing reconstruction and development to be pushed forward.
