Attack on Musa Qala begins

Telegraph:

British and Afghan forces have begun a potentially bloody battle to take Musa Qala as Taliban commanders promise to fight to defend the town in North Helmand to the last man.

Local people told The Telegraph that thousands of British and Afghan troops began advancing on the town at around 4pm local time today in three separate columns.

They said only a route northwards remained open for escape with many local people fleeing into desert areas carrying their possessions.

Mullah Ahmad Muslim, a Taliban commander inside the town claimed that 7,000 Taliban fighters were ready to die defending Musa Qala.

"We have orders from our commanders to fight to the death," he claimed.

"We have hundreds of men with bombs strapped to their bodies ready to throw themselves under the British tanks.

"They have strong weapons. We don't. They have aircraft. We don't. They have tanks. We don't. Musa Qala will be remembered by history."

There is no way to check the veracity of his claims.

...

One can speculate that the British troops will be checking the veracity of his claims as they go into the town.

...

Local people consistently reported some 300 to 400 Nato and Afghan army vehicles visible around the town and up to 40 helicopters and planes overhead.

The Taliban said they had destroyed four Nato vehicles and claimed that Nato bombing had destroyed a civilian vehicle fleeing the city.

Nato has not yet released any information on the fighting and there is no way to corroborate Taliban claims.

Several local people reported the arrival of Taliban reinforcements during the day, perhaps 500 strong.

Nato has issued a statement confirming that an attack had begun.

...

The Taliban would be very foolish to reinforce their forces in the town, much less make a stand there. But, they have been known to do foolish things before in this war. The rational move for an insurgent forces is to retreat when faced with superior force to live to fight another day on ground of your choosing. With most of their best commanders dead, it is possible there may not be anyone with the Taliban who is smart enough to consider that.