NATO-Led Troops Kill Suspected Insurgents In Southern Afghanistan

AP ^ | May 1, 2007

[MinorityRepublican]

SANGIN VALLEY, Afghanistan -- NATO-led troops killed 75 suspected insurgents on the first day of an offensive against Taliban militants in a valley in southern Afghanistan, a British military officer said Tuesday.

The militants died Monday, when British, Danish and Afghan troops fought their way up the Sangin Valley in Helmand province, said Maj. Dominic Biddick, who commanded a company of British troops in the operation.

Maj. Biddick said the troops detained several more suspected militants and discovered an arms cache during "a full day of fighting." One British soldier was wounded, he said, without providing any details of his condition.

"The operation went better than most people had anticipated," Maj. Biddick said. "At one point, there were six companies in clashes at the same time." His tally of 75 insurgents killed couldn't be independently verified.

The Sangin Valley mission is part of Operation Achilles, NATO's largest-ever maneuver against the Taliban, which began in March. The operation is focused on reclaiming Helmand province, Afghanistan's most volatile, from insurgents so that the government of President Hamid Karzai can expand its reach.

On Monday, the U.S. military reported that 136 suspected militants were killed in three days of fighting in western Herat province -- the deadliest clashes in Afghanistan since January.

[garylmoore]

One British soldier was wounded,

My prayers for the british soldier, not a bad report for 75 dead thugs, good job guys. Bless you and thank you for fighting for my freedom.

[Rikstir]

Its sounds like a sustained operation to take and hold the whole sangin valley. no doubt the 70 odd taken out reflect a small portion of the Taleban forces in the area, but its a good start for sure.
The Danes it seems, operate well with the UK. I think there is a mutual respect between the UK and the Scandanavian countries in their approach to conflict, and their hard work in the difficult Sangin Valley coule provide the area with some serious development in the coming years..