Canadians work with Afghan army in defeating Taliban

CNEWS:

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."

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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.

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The Afghan army is stepping up to the challenge. That is a good thing.