Few Taliban try sparring with Marines after Afghan battle

USA Today:

U.S. Marines contended with 110-degree heat, rugged terrain and an increasingly savvy and war-hardened enemy as they pressed deeper into a Taliban stronghold in Afghanistan on Thursday.

Operation Azada Wosa — "Stay Free" in the local Pashto language — kicked off Monday and represents a new push by the U.S. military to retake territory that NATO troops have so far been unable to conquer and hold. The 2,400-strong 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit is on its first mission since it started arriving here more than a month ago.

After nearly seven years of war, the challenges facing the U.S. troops here are eerily similar to those they faced when they first arrived to topple the Taliban regime following the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Among the familiar problems are dehydration, long supply lines, residents whose loyalties are often unclear and enemy forces that stage quick-hit attacks then slip into the shadows.

Capt. John Moder, the commander of the Marine unit's Charlie Company, says residents have told them they are eager to see the Taliban removed from the area. Their local bazaar has been closed for months because of the fighting.

"They just want to live their lives," Moder says.

The Taliban aren't giving up without a fight. In groups of three and four, they open fire at the Marines with assault rifles or rockets, then flee. Sometimes they attempt infantry maneuvers, trying to draw the Marines in one direction with a feint, then attacking from another direction. "They were tactically sound," Moder says. "It shows that they've done it before, that they might have been trained."

Moder estimates his men have killed 30 Taliban fighters. Maj. Tom Clinton, executive officer of the Marines' infantry battalion, could not confirm Taliban casualties, but he says the Marines are getting reports that wounded Afghan men are seeking medical treatment in Helmand's capital, Lashkar Gah.

So far, U.S. casualties have been relatively light. Through Thursday afternoon, no Marines had been killed in the operation, although two died last month when a roadside bomb hit their supply convoy.

Six Marines had been injured, none critically: One was shot in the foot, perhaps accidentally; one suffered a concussion from a Taliban rocket or mortar attack; one was bitten by a dog; one fell from a roof and broke an ankle; two broke their legs; and two more sprained their ankles.

The nagging injuries and intense heat are sometimes a more immediate threat than the enemy itself, troops say. "Imagine carrying 75 to 120 pounds of gear and playing a football game where each quarter lasts three hours," says 1st Lt. Mark Matzke, 21, of Arlington, Va.

Keeping them supplied with water, ready-to-eat meals and ammunition is a full-time operation. From Camp Dwyer, a handpicked team of two dozen Marines runs convoys to infantrymen in the field.

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That kind of heat in Afghanistan is surprising but these Marines have seen it before in Iraq. Most of the injuries do not appear to be combat related although they could have been incurred while maneuvering during combat.

The initial operation by the Marines appears to have thrown the Taliban off their game and the more recent attempts to draw the Marines into ambushes have been unsuccessful. I think it is going to be a hotter than normal summer for the Taliban in this area.