U.S. marines storm Taliban-held town

Helicopter-borne U.S. marines backed by Harrier jets stormed into a strategic Taliban-held town in southern Afghanistan before dawn Wednesday, battling to gain control of the area ahead of next week's presidential elections.

Insurgents appeared to dig in for a fight, firing volleys of rocket-propelled grenades, mortar rounds and even missiles from the back of a truck at the marines, who were surprised at the intense resistance. By sunset, marines had made little progress into Dahaneh beyond the gains of the initial pre-dawn assault.

Fighting accelerated after sundown, and officers predicted a couple of days of intense combat before the town could be secured.

"Based on the violence with which they've been fighting back against us, I think it indicates the Taliban are trying to make a stand here," said Capt. Zachary Martin, commander of Golf Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines.

It was the first time NATO troops had entered Dahaneh, a town of about 2,000 people that has been under Taliban control for years. Casualty figures were unavailable due to security restrictions.

"There is hope with the town cordoned off and all of the fighting moving into the mountains beyond, they actually could hold election day there," said CBC correspondent James Murray.

NATO would see enabling the elections to be held in the region as a strong statement by NATO, Murray said.

U.S., NATO and Afghan troops are working to protect voting sites around the country so Afghans can take part in the country's second-ever direct presidential election. Taliban militants have vowed to disrupt the elections, and attacks are on the rise around Afghanistan.

Isolate insurgents

The new offensive, named "Eastern Resolve 2," is designed to break the months-long stalemate in the southern valley where the Taliban are solidly entrenched. It involves 400 marines and 100 Afghan troops. By occupying Dahaneh, the marines hope to isolate insurgents in woods and mountains, away from civilian centres.

The goal is to cut off the Taliban from a major rear base, and reclaim the area's main market district. It is hoped this would have a ripple effect through neighbouring villages, making civilians more willing to co-operate with NATO forces.

The Taliban levy taxes in Dahaneh and maintain checkpoints in the area, which serves as a main trading route through northern parts of Helmand, which produces 60 per cent of the world's opium.

"In the long term, it could have tremendous effects for the entire province," said Martin, whose company is based in the nearby town of Now Zad.

Militants killed, opium seized

During Wednesday's fighting, marines said they killed between seven and 10 militants and seized about 30 kilograms of opium, which the U.S. military says Taliban use to finance their insurgency. The U.S. military said an American soldier was killed by a bomb Wednesday in southern Afghanistan, but the statement did not say whether the blast was part of the fighting around Dahaneh.

A first assault wave in Humvees and armoured vehicles left a marine base at 1 a.m. local time in Naw Zad. Three helicopters then picked up a platoon of marines and dropped them behind Taliban lines in Dahaneh. These troops blasted their way into a suspected militant compound.

Just before morning light, militants unleashed their weapons.

Short bursts of fire punctuated the desert air over the next eight hours, a response so fierce that troops suspected the Taliban knew they were coming. At the Pentagon, spokesman Bryan Whitman said the operation was "going as planned."

"They are engaged in a fight. They are meeting some resistance," he said. He would not say how long the offensive will last.