Operation Panther Claw in Helmand

Telegraph:

Around 800 soldiers of the Light Dragoons and Mercian Regiment are driving north of the provincial capital Lashkar Gah in the third wave of Operation Panchai Palang, or Panther's Claw.

The operation has been described as the most strategically important yet mounted by the British, who have fought to stalemate with the Islamist insurgents in the past three years.

British forces hope to secure the volatile region between Lashkar Gah and Gereshk, a nearby commercial hub, in time for next month's presidential elections.

The assault began two weeks ago with the helicopter-borne Black Watch seizing three crossings on the Nahr-e-Burgha canal and setting up checkpoints.

As the Welsh Guards then followed up to take 13 crossings on the Shamalan waterway, they encountered tough fighting in sweltering conditions a statement said.

"The units have encountered some enemy activity and have been engaged in some prolonged fire-fights with the enemy sometimes lasting several hours. On occasions they have been involved at close quarters."

...

Taliban fighters have said they will not stand and fight against the assault, or a similar push by United States Marines in the lower Helmand River valley, but will wear down the British in a war of attrition.

A statement on a Taliban propaganda website said: "The Helmand Mujaheddin say that they are using tactical and guerrilla warfare principles in confronting the enemy offensive in order to engage and exhaust the enemy in a long war of attrition.

"For this reason, the Mujaheddin, instead of frontal resistance, have resorted to the effective tactics of hit and run and roadside mines which have produced satisfactory results so far."

...

With one exception reported so far they have been true to their tactics. In the exception the battle was ended by a Harrier jet dropping precision munitions on a compound where secondary explosions also resulted. The problem for the Taliban is that the size of the force against them is large enough that the Taliban's movement to contact will be difficult without detection. The US and UK forces should be able to establish checkpoints that will make spotting the enemy easier.