Coalition and Afghan forces are making steady progress in Helmand province, Afghanistan, the commander of Regional Command Southwest said today.

Marine Maj. Gen. Richard P. Mills stood up the new command in June. The area had been part of Regional Command—South. The general spoke to Pentagon reporters via teleconference from his base at Camp Leatherneck, located north of the provincial capital of Lashkar Gah.

The general’s command is focused on the central Helmand River Valley.

“It’s key ground,” Mills said. “The bulk of the nearly 1.5 million residents of Helmand province live here. Progress here has been steady. I look forward to progress to continue to show improvement over the coming months, and I think we’ll expand rapidly in the months ahead.”

The NATO forces in the command work closely with Afghan security forces and are partnered in almost all operations, Mills said. He noted that the quality and quantity of the Afghan forces has increased.

“We work with all of the Afghan security forces and have been very, very pleased at the increase in their capability, increase in their manning level and the increase in the equipment with which they operate,” Mills said.

The price for the steady progress has been steep, the general said. The Helmand valley is key ground to the insurgency. The Taliban controlled the region six months ago and there were many areas where coalition or Afghan government forces had never been.

Since launching offensives at the beginning of the year, the Taliban have been consistently pushed back, Mills said, and is losing control over the poppy crops that fund their activities.

According to AFPS’ Jim Garamone, Mills cited the Marja campaign as an example of operations in Helmand. Marja reflects progress that’s been made throughout the province, the general said. Six months ago, “anyone not involved with the insurgency that approached Marja drew fire and drew very accurate fire,” he said.

The insurgents said they were going to die in the fight against the coalition, but instead they’ve drifted away, Mills said.

“We had initial success on the battlefield, he said.

And the government and the coalition have built on that initial success. “Today,… there is an emerging police force down [in Marja],” Mills said. “It has some 140 members. It patrols in the streets. It runs checkpoints for security measures and enforces not only the basic laws expected to operate within a town but it also fights the insurgency when it’s called upon and when it’s attacked.”

There are two battalions of U.S. Marines in the area, he noted, as well as elements of the Afghan National Police Force.

Meanwhile, the general said, schools for both boys and girls have opened and the bazaars are back in business.

Though the Taliban remain in the area, they’re being forced out, Mills said. “And they are becoming desperate,” he added. “We are beginning to see more and more of that desperation reflected in the weapons and the tactics they use against us within the city.”

The Taliban, he said, are sneaking into the area at night and planting roadside bombs, which are aimed at the population.

“The number of children, the number of women, the number of innocents that we treat in our medical facilities, as the result of IEDs within Marja, is unacceptable,” Mills said.

The Taliban’s murder and intimidation campaign shows desperation, the general said, noting the insurgents have “very little else to offer the people of Marja, other than threats.”

When the Taliban controlled Marja, Mills said, there were no schools, because the insurgents had destroyed them. The insurgents, he said, also had closed the health clinics and destroyed most of the buildings that made up the bazaars.
The Afghans are fed up with Taliban manipulation, murder and extortion, Mills said, noting the people of the region are chasing away Taliban tax collectors and recruiters.

“We have reports of Taliban recruiters, again, entering villages, not just Marja but throughout the province, and once again being rejected and told to disappear,” he said.

The people of the province want to defend themselves, Mills said, noting he fully supports the establishment of a local Afghan police force to help deter Taliban aggression. Afghan President Hamid Karzai approved the concept yesterday.

Meanwhile, the general said, Afghan officials have set up an anti-insurgent tip line for the region.

The tip line has become “more and more useful to us as concerned citizens call in, tell us of IEDs that have been planted, tell us of factories producing IEDs, and tell us of strangers who don’t belong in the local neighborhood who have come in and begun to cause trouble,” Mills said.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai has approved a program that will set up local police forces in towns and villages where the Taliban are attempting to infiltrate and intimidate the population, reports AFPS’ Jim Garamone.

The local police forces will bridge the gap until fully trained government forces can step in, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said at a news conference today.

“While we are simultaneously operating at a far higher tempo and degrading the Taliban so they are less of a threat to these local communities, we can utilize a willing, local, armed population to do community policing,” Morrell said.

The local police forces are not militias, Morrell explained. Karzai approved a plan to put up to 10,000 community police in place, to be paid by the government and to operate under the control of the Afghanistan’s interior ministry.

“This is about putting locals to work, so that they can be on watch in their communities for people who shouldn’t be there, and then work with the established security organizations – the [Afghan] army, the police, the coalition – to make sure they don’t menace their communities,” Morrell said.

Though the preferred solution in the country is a fully trained police force, a Defense Department official speaking on background said, “the recent discussion and decision is an encouraging sign of Afghan officials taking serious, detailed interest in both their short-term security needs and the long-term sustainability of security programs.”

Officials said examples of Afghan villagers banding together to deny the Taliban access to their towns have been encouraging.

“We clearly have seen examples of local communities repelling attempts by the Taliban to infiltrate and intimidate their communities,” Morrell said. “We have also, though, seen examples where there are communities that may not have stepped up in that demonstrable a way, but clearly want to and are looking for help in doing so.”

Since June 1, the Taliban have killed 89 percent of the civilians killed in Afghanistan. Morrell pointed out that if the coalition and Afghan government forces kill civilians, it is inadvertent. “By contrast, we know that the Taliban [are] deliberately targeting civilians,” he said. “And they are doing so at an increasingly high rate.”

Coalition officials in Afghanistan have released details of recent operations and insurgent attacks.

A combined Afghan-international security force detained a suspected insurgent on the outskirts of Kandahar City in Kandahar province last night while pursuing a Taliban commander known to traffic weapons and assist in bombing attacks against Afghan civilians and Afghan and coalition forces. No shots were fired, and the security force protected women and children who were present.

Also last night, a combined force killed a suspected insurgent and detained a number of suspected insurgents in Helmand province while pursuing a Taliban military commander in charge of fighters in parts of Marja and the Nad-e Ali district.

Several individuals attempted to escape as the security force approached a series of compounds in Nad-e Ali district. As the combined security force attempted to apprehend those fleeing, one man was killed when he displayed hostile intent.

On July 13, Afghan and international forces repelled an insurgent attack on an Afghan civil order police headquarters in Kandahar City. Insurgents attacked the headquarters perimeter with a vehicle-borne bomb, followed by small-arms, rocket-propelled-grenade and machine-gun fire. Police and international forces secured the headquarters and prevented insurgents from penetrating the perimeter while additional Afghan and international forces reinforced the headquarters’ defenses and successfully repelled the attack.

Three International Security Assistance Force servicemembers and five civilian workers were killed in the attack.

Several Afghan civilians, including a 4-year-old child, were killed and wounded by insurgent attacks in Helmand and Kandahar provinces yesterday.

Eight civilians were killed and four were wounded by a roadside bomb in Helmand’s Nad-e Ali district. Afghan security forces responded and transported the wounded to an Afghan military facility for treatment.

In another incident in Nad-e Ali, a 4-year-old child died following a roadside-bomb explosion.

Meanwhile, two Afghan civilians were wounded when insurgents attacked them with small-arms fire in their homes in Kandahar’s Zharay district. ISAF forces treated the wounded at a nearby facility and transported one of the wounded to another facility for further care.

Afghan National Police and the subgovernor of Ghazni province thwarted an insurgent attack in Gahzni’s Khwajah Omari district yesterday, military officials reported.

Insurgents planned to attack the funeral procession for Mohammad Riza, the district’s former head prosecutor, who was murdered by insurgents July 9. Afghan forces set up a checkpoint outside the village of Deh Kuli to disrupt the attack, and the insurgents attacked the checkpoint instead. When the subgovernor heard of the attack, he rushed to the scene with his personal bodyguards to support the national police. Several insurgents were killed, and several police officers were wounded.

Meanwhile, military officials provided details of numerous recent operations in Afghanistan.

In Logar province’s Pul-e Alam district last night, a combined Afghan-international security force detained several suspected insurgents while pursuing a Taliban commander responsible for bombing attacks against coalition forces in Baraki Barak. No shots were fired, and the combined security force protected women and children who were present.

Also last night, an Afghan-international force killed a suspected insurgent and detained several others in Khost province’s Sabari district while pursuing a Haqqani terrorist network weapons facilitator linked to bombing attacks against coalition forces. As the combined force secured the targeted compound, a man assaulted a soldier and tried to grab the barrel of his weapon. The soldier engaged in self defense and shot the man. Multiple automatic weapons, grenades and bomb-making materials were found and destroyed, and women and the combined force protected children who were present.

During a clearing operation in Kunduz province’s Chahar Darah district last night, an Afghan-international security force detained a suspected insurgent while protecting women and children who were present during the operation.

An Afghan-led patrol of Afghan commandos and U.S. special operations forces found a weapons cache in Helmand province yesterday. The patrol, working to establish security and locate known insurgents operating in and around Mirmandab and Heydarabad villages, came under attack several times by insurgents using rocket-propelled grenades, machine guns and small arms.

An Afghan woman suffered a shrapnel wound to her leg and was treated by U.S. medics. Two wounded insurgents also were treated and then were detained.

While searching a series of buildings, the security force found four makeshift bombs connected to a jug of homemade explosives, three rocket-propelled grenades and a launcher, three 82 mm mortars, hand-held radios and batteries. The combined force met with village elders who authorized the safe destruction of the building housing the weapons cache to protect village residents.

In other news, International Security Assistance Force officials uncovered a Taliban plot to confiscate supplies and food intended for distribution to the people of Afghanistan’s Kandahar province. The items, destined for nongovernmental organizations for distribution, were to be hijacked and held by the Taliban for their own use.

ISAF officials said they’re supporting the Afghan government to uncover the extent of these planned hijackings and will work with local officials to ensure the Taliban are unsuccessful in interdicting the goods.

In other news, ISAF forces provided medical treatment to 12 injured civilians when their vehicle was struck by a motorcycle packed with explosives in Helmand’s Garm Ser district July 11. ISAF members treated the injured on scene before evacuating them to ISAF medical facilities.

On July 10, an Afghan-international force killed Malauwi Shahbuddin, a Taliban commander, along with several armed insurgents in Zabul province’s Shah Joy district. Shahbuddin was responsible for moving bomb-making materials and foreign fighters into the district from Pakistan.

The security force approached a group of heavily armed insurgents in the process of planting a roadside bomb in the northeastern part of the province. As the force attempted to apprehend them, an insurgent detonated a grenade. The security force engaged and killed the insurgents, who included Shahbuddin, and also detained several suspected insurgents.

Upon inspection, the security force discovered one of the insurgents had attempted to booby trap himself by placing a hand grenade under his body. The grenade was rendered safe.

Machine guns, bomb-making materials and RPG launchers with rockets and grenades were found with the insurgents. More bomb-making materials, hand grenades, small arms, RPG launchers with multiple rockets and two motorcycles laden with explosives were found during a subsequent search of the area. The security force destroyed the weapons and motorcycles at the scene. No civilians or security forces were injured.

Also July 10, a combined Afghan-international security force killed several insurgents and detained two suspects in Ghazni while pursuing a Taliban commander in direct contact with Taliban leadership in Pakistan and associated with al Qaida and the Commander Nazir Group terrorist organization, known for assassinations and intimidation operations against civilians. The terror group also is known to operate with the Haqqani terrorist network in attacks against international forces.

The combined security force went to a compound in the province’s Andar district and immediately was engaged by multiple insurgents armed with automatic weapons and grenades. The security force returned fire, killing several insurgents. The security force protected women and children who were present, and no civilians or security forces were injured.

A combined Afghan-international security force killed two insurgents and detained a number of suspected insurgents during an operation targeting two Taliban commanders in Kandahar province the night of July 10. The commanders are responsible for attacks against Afghan and international forces in southern Arghandab district and Kandahar City, and also supply weapons and bombs to the Arghandab insurgent network.

The security force targeted an area known to be a safe haven for Taliban fighters near the village of Khersak. After clearing and securing the surrounding area, the security force went to two separate compounds in search of the commanders. As the force approached the first compound, two insurgents armed with automatic weapons engaged them and then attempted to flee. Coalition forces pursued them, and the insurgents were killed with precision air fire. As the security force continued clearing the area, they discovered a house booby-trapped as a bomb, which they secured.

At a second compound, Afghan forces used a loudspeaker to call for all occupants to peacefully come out, then cleared and secured the building. No civilians or security forces were injured during the operation.

An Afghan-international security force detained two suspected insurgents and seized explosives and bomb-making materials during a two-day operation in Kandahar’s Panjwai district July 10. The force found and destroyed more than 500 pounds of explosives, as well as 155 mm artillery rounds and bomb-making components, including a motorcycle rigged with explosives. The force also discovered several tunnels under buildings in the search area.

On July 10, an Afghan-international patrol found and destroyed more than 200 pounds of opium and bomb-making materials in Helmand’s Nawah-ye Barakzai district.

In Kapisa province July 10, an Afghan civilian turned in 10 RPG warheads, eight RPG boosters and 27 82 mm recoilless rifle shells to an ISAF forward operating base.

Also July 10, ISAF forces provided medical treatment to four civilians injured when insurgents attacked a minivan with small-arms fire in Paktia province’s Lajah-Ahmad Khel district. Afghan forces evacuated the casualties to an ISAF medical facility for care. Several civilians were killed in the insurgent attack.

An Afghan-led force that was attacked while conducting a security patrol in Helmand’s Nahr-e Saraj district provided aid to an Afghan woman injured by insurgent fire July 10. Afghan army commandos and U.S. special operations forces were patrolling in and around Mirmandab and Heydarabad villages when they were attacked with RPGs and heavy machine-gun fire. During the insurgent attack a woman suffered shrapnel wounds and was treated by the U.S. medics. Two insurgents injured during the attack were detained after receiving medical treatment.

Immediately following the attack, the Afghan commandos’ commander contacted a local elder to provide details of the events. The elder said the commandos’ presence has helped to save civilian lives, and he led the patrol to a nearby insurgent weapons cache.

An Afghan-international security force detained two suspected insurgents in Ghazni province July 10 while pursuing a Taliban commander who is responsible for smuggling Pakistani, Chechen and Arab fighters and bomb-making materials into the province’s Shah Joy district from Pakistan.

The Afghan-led search focused on a compound in the village of Purdel in the Gelan district. The combined force was engaged with sporadic and ineffective gunfire from several directions during the search. After initial questioning of residents, the force detained the suspected insurgents. No buildings were damaged, and the force protected women and children who were present.

In Paktia province’s Ahmadabad the night of July 9, a separate Afghan-international security force killed an armed individual and detained several suspected insurgents. The security force went to a series of compounds, and Afghan forces used a loudspeaker to call for all occupants to come out. After no response was observed, the security force illuminated the residence from an overhead aircraft to alert them of coalition forces presence. An armed man attempted to engage the combined force, and the security force shot and killed him in self-defense. The team recovered a number of weapons in the compound.

A tip from an area resident led Afghan and ISAF forces to 178 82mm mortar grenades in Badghis province’s Muqor district July 8. ISAF experts said the explosives in the shells could be used to make several dozen large roadside bombs. The cache was moved to a safe location and will be destroyed.

U.S. and Afghan soldiers on patrol came under fire from insurgents July 8 in Kandahar, Afghanistan.

An Afghan-international security force captured a Haqqani terrorist network facilitator for bomb components and several other suspected insurgents in Afghanistan’s Khost province last night.

The combined force detained the insurgents, one of whom identified himself as the targeted facilitator, while searching a compound near the village of Khvajeh Mohammad Kala in Khost’s Terayzai district.

The security force found multiple automatic weapons, ammunition and grenades on the scene. No shots were fired, and the security force protected women and children who were present.

This is the third recent successful operation against this insurgent cell, officials said. Afghan and international forces killed Wahidullah, a Haqqani network commander and bomb specialist who was part of the captured facilitator’s cell May 13. A combined force also captured five of the facilitator’s associates, including his direct subordinate June 24.

NATO officials are confirming International Security Forces in Afghanistan mistakenly attacked Afghan troops July 7 in eastern Afghanistan’s Ghazni Province.