KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (CP) - With a mixture of anguish and admiration, a senior Canadian commander searched for ways to work more closely with Afghan authorities Saturday following a violent, bloody clash with Taliban fighters, which killed six local police officers and a teenage boy.
The day-long battle on Good Friday at the village of Sangisar, 40 kilometres southwest of Kandahar, was an Afghan planned and executed operation where Canadian soldiers provided security assistance, said Col. Ian Hope, commander of Task Force Orion.
A Canadian light armoured vehicle suffered minor damage after being struck by one of three rocket-propelled grenades lobbed in its direction by Taliban fighters. There were no Canadian casualties.
But the horrific toll taken on the lightly armed Afghan security forces drew qualified praise from the commander of the Canadian battle group.
"While I applaud their bravery," Hope told reporters Saturday.
"They are very, very brave. (I applaud) their determination not to put up with continued attacks by the Taliban. There is learning from yesterday."
The Canadians were drawn into the fight on Good Friday after an Afghan police checkpoint was ambushed on Highway 1 between Kandahar and Herat. Local police and army units had gathered in the area after receiving intelligence reports that the Taliban were massing in nearby villages. A running gun battle ensued.
It went on for three hours before B Company of the 1st Battalion of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry was called from nearby Panj Wai to assist.
Hope's troops rushed to the scene, but the only shots they fired were in self-defence after the rocket attack. The contingent of heavily armed soldiers took up position around the dusty maze of desert enclaves in order to prevent insurgents from escaping.
U.S. helicopter gunships raked the compounds with rocket fire before Afghan police stormed in, wearing no body armour and carrying only assault rifles.
"It shows an awful lot of grit and determination in the Afghan National Police and the (Afghan army) to take the fight to the Taliban when required," said Hope.
Part of him wishes the Afghans would have asked for help.
"I would have preferred that we had the time to organize a little better and bring the combat power of our LAVs and the professionalism of our dismounted infantry to bear," he said.
"I think we may have saved them some lives."
While the Afghans maintain a joint military centre with coalition troops, they are a sovereign country and under no obligation to co-ordinate police activities, the colonel added.
The raid was ordered by the governor of Kandahar province and directed in the ground by a local district official. The district police chief, a deputy police commander from neighbouring zone and four other officers were killed.
Zahir Shah, 18, who was apparently an innocent bystanders in one of the compounds, also died in the exchange of fire, although it's not clear who shot him.
At a briefing for local media early Saturday, Kandahar Governor Assadullah Khalid claimed 41 insurgents were killed and 11 captured, a figure that coalition commanders have yet to verify.
In addition, there were at least a dozen civilians wounded, including a woman and a 10-year-old girl, Fatima Jaan.
Hope said he met with Governor Khalid and other senior leaders late Friday and discussed how they can improve the quick reaction procedures of both police and coalition forces.
http://start.shaw.ca/start/enCA/News/NationalNewsArticle.htm?src=n041511A.xml
The day-long battle on Good Friday at the village of Sangisar, 40 kilometres southwest of Kandahar, was an Afghan planned and executed operation where Canadian soldiers provided security assistance, said Col. Ian Hope, commander of Task Force Orion.
A Canadian light armoured vehicle suffered minor damage after being struck by one of three rocket-propelled grenades lobbed in its direction by Taliban fighters. There were no Canadian casualties.
But the horrific toll taken on the lightly armed Afghan security forces drew qualified praise from the commander of the Canadian battle group.
"While I applaud their bravery," Hope told reporters Saturday.
"They are very, very brave. (I applaud) their determination not to put up with continued attacks by the Taliban. There is learning from yesterday."
The Canadians were drawn into the fight on Good Friday after an Afghan police checkpoint was ambushed on Highway 1 between Kandahar and Herat. Local police and army units had gathered in the area after receiving intelligence reports that the Taliban were massing in nearby villages. A running gun battle ensued.
It went on for three hours before B Company of the 1st Battalion of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry was called from nearby Panj Wai to assist.
Hope's troops rushed to the scene, but the only shots they fired were in self-defence after the rocket attack. The contingent of heavily armed soldiers took up position around the dusty maze of desert enclaves in order to prevent insurgents from escaping.
U.S. helicopter gunships raked the compounds with rocket fire before Afghan police stormed in, wearing no body armour and carrying only assault rifles.
"It shows an awful lot of grit and determination in the Afghan National Police and the (Afghan army) to take the fight to the Taliban when required," said Hope.
Part of him wishes the Afghans would have asked for help.
"I would have preferred that we had the time to organize a little better and bring the combat power of our LAVs and the professionalism of our dismounted infantry to bear," he said.
"I think we may have saved them some lives."
While the Afghans maintain a joint military centre with coalition troops, they are a sovereign country and under no obligation to co-ordinate police activities, the colonel added.
The raid was ordered by the governor of Kandahar province and directed in the ground by a local district official. The district police chief, a deputy police commander from neighbouring zone and four other officers were killed.
Zahir Shah, 18, who was apparently an innocent bystanders in one of the compounds, also died in the exchange of fire, although it's not clear who shot him.
At a briefing for local media early Saturday, Kandahar Governor Assadullah Khalid claimed 41 insurgents were killed and 11 captured, a figure that coalition commanders have yet to verify.
In addition, there were at least a dozen civilians wounded, including a woman and a 10-year-old girl, Fatima Jaan.
Hope said he met with Governor Khalid and other senior leaders late Friday and discussed how they can improve the quick reaction procedures of both police and coalition forces.
http://start.shaw.ca/start/enCA/News/NationalNewsArticle.htm?src=n041511A.xml
