Amid deteriorating security situation in the restive Helmand province of Afghanistan which led to the fall of Musa Qala district last week, the American military has deployed around 90 Special Operations troops in this province, apparently to assist the Afghan security forces.
The American military officials have confirmed that the special operations troops were rushed into Camp Bastion after the fall of Musa Qala on Wednesday.
The officials further added that the troops were part of the NATO and American-led coalition’s noncombat, “train, advise and assist” mission.
The Afghan military officials have also confirmed that the Afghan security forces receive air support from the coalition forces besides the Afghan Air Force conduct aerial bombing.
The deployment of the US special operations troops belonging to United States Air Force Special Tactics Squadron in Helmand province comes as the US and NATO forces formally concluded their combat operation last year.
Col. Brian Tribus an American military spokesman told the New York Times “It is important to note whenever the U.S. conducts airstrikes, a U.S. JTAC must be on the ground directing the strike to ensure they are conducted within our rules of engagement.”
A JTAC is a joint terminal attack controller, a soldier who guides airstrikes from the ground.
In the meantime, the Ministry of Defense of Afghanistan (MoD) confirmed that the control of Musa Qala district was retaken by the Afghan security forces.
MoD released a statement earlier today confirming the district was retaken by Afghan forces in the early hours of Sunday morning.
As long as US troops are there as “trainers” or whatever, the war will continue. They see us as a foreign non-Muslim military occupational force in support of a questionable (legitimate?) central government. What is the main ethnic group of the Afghan forces in Helmand these days? In the past they were frequently from the northern minorities (the Northern Alliance) that did not help things. Does anyone in charge have any concept on what is necessary to make peace?? Apparently not.