Watson has roughly 400 Marines, but more are expected to be focused on the advise-and-assist mission with the Afghan units. Over time, he said, the Afghan forces — including the National Army’s 215th Corps — gathered momentum and were able to take back several regions that had been controlled by the Taliban. “It was the first time they took back terrain in a Taliban stronghold,” Turner said, adding that the Afghan forces have managed to sustain that initiative. He added that while the Marines are in combat roles in Helmand, the Afghan troops led the fighting and his forces generally stayed back, away from the front lines. Afghanistan’s Helmand province has long been a prime battleground, particularly the area around Sangin, the insurgency’s heartland.

Source: National Post February 01, 2018 22:33 UTC