Sangin District of Helmand Province Lost to Taliban?

Is it possible that the most recent district to fall to the Taliban could be a permanent loss? The district of Sangin in Helmand province, a Pashtun ethnic group area, has been a battleground for years. British and American forces have fought long and hard over the past several years and suffered many casualties. The district is in the heart of the poppy growing region of Afghanistan.

The Taliban opened up the 2013 fighting season targeting the Sangin district. Initially the Taliban were very successful in overrunning several ANSF checkpoints; however, the Afghans (backed by the Coalition) managed to counterattack and take some of these checkpoints back. ISAF painted a glowing picture of a triumphant ANSF taking the fight to the Taliban (see "Commander: Taliban Defeat Imminent in Helmand's Sangin District", American Forces Press Service, May 29, 2013).

However, the ANSF have taken severe casualties this past fighting season in Sangin; and in addition, this district has suffered a high desertion rate. The Afghans have an 'addiction to bases' in this region and do not actively patrol. As a result the Taliban have free reign over the district and can attack the ANSF outposts at will.

Now that the Coalition is no longer able to exercise operational reach into some of the remote and highly contested areas we may now be faced with the prospect of the ANA and ANP reaching an accommodation with the insurgents at the local level and controlling entire districts. Recent reports indicate that Sangin district may well be one of those places. Read more news reports about Sangin district the link below:

www.afghanwarnews.info/districts/sangin.htm