Commander: Taliban Defeat Imminent in Helmand's Sangin District

You are subscribed to American Forces News Articles for U.S. Department of Defense. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. Commander: Taliban Defeat Imminent in Helmand's Sangin District 05/29/2013 01:48 PM CDT Commander: Taliban Defeat Imminent in Helmand's Sangin District By Nick Simeone American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, May 29, 2013 - Afghan forces will defeat Taliban fighters in the restive Sangin district of Afghanistan's Helmand province by tomorrow in a battle that has gone on for four days, the commander of NATO-led forces in southwestern Afghanistan said today. Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Walter L. Miller Jr., commander of the International Security Assistance Force's Regional Command Southwest, told reporters at the Pentagon via satellite that coalition forces have been called upon to provide only aerial support and resupply and logistics help for the Afghan forces fighting the battle. "They're closing that fight rapidly. They've done quite well," Miller said, adding that the Afghan commander in Sangin has "taken the fight to the enemy and [is] clearing up the center of Sangin right now." Miller said casualties among Afghan forces are lower than those coalition forces suffered in the region a year ago. Miller emphasized the Afghan-led battle in Sangin illustrates how far the country's army and police have come in their ability to fight on their own, especially in an area that had been a hotbed of Taliban activity. "They're taking it on themselves for the most part," he said, but he acknowledged that Afghan forces will continue to need additional, outside support. "We do believe that the enablers required for the future will be in the areas of [medical evacuation] capability, as well as continuing to work with their logistics personnel to learn how to move things out more rapidly," the general said. More than 20,000 Marines were sent into Helmand in 2010 to flush Taliban fighters out of the province, killing or driving out many in daily battles that were some of the deadliest of the 12-year Afghan war. While coalition forces have since drawn down, replaced by Afghan forces, some Taliban have drifted back. "If we think the Taliban will be completely destroyed, that's not feasible," Miller said. "The key is to get the Afghan national security forces to the level where they can maintain security for the populace of Afghanistan." Some of the enemy fighters in Sangin are foreign, Miller said, but he declined to say what countries or regions they are coming from. Miller, commander of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force, commands ISAF forces from 11 nations in Helmand and Nimroz provinces. The command's primary focus is training and advising nearly 30,000 Afghan security forces as they prepare to take the lead for security in the region ahead of the end of the NATO mission in Afghanistan in 2014.   Biographies: Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Walter L. Miller Jr. Related Sites: Regional Command Southwest NATO International Security Assistance Force   Defense Department News Through Facebook On American Forces Press Service's Facebook page, you can post comments and share news, photos and videos. Go to http://www.facebook.com/pages/American-Forces-Press-Service/65137437532 or search for American Forces Press Service at Facebook.com. Update your subscriptions, modify your password or e-mail address, or stop subscriptions at any time by clicking on your 'User Profile' page at https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDOD/subscriber/edit?preferences=true#tab1. You will need to use your e-mail address to log in. If you have questions or problems with the subscription service, please e-mail support@govdelivery.com. Have another inquiry? Visit the online FAQ at http://www.defense.gov/landing/questions.aspx for up-to-date information. Get the help you, your family, and fellow servicemembers need, when you need it. Visit www.WarriorCare.mil to learn more. Check out the National Resource Directory at www.nationalresourcedirectory.org, a new web-based resource for wounded, ill and injured service members, veterans, their families, families of the fallen and those who support them from the Departments of Defense, Labor, and Veterans Affairs. This service is provided to you at no charge by U.S. Department of Defense. Visit us on the web at http://www.defense.gov/. Updates from the U.S. Department of Defense