US/NATO crisis in Afghanistan generates greater pressure on Pakistan

A 700-strong battalion of the Afghan Army was rushed to Arghandab from Kabul to reinforce local units and spearhead the offensive to retake as many as 10 villages. NATO aircraft dropped leaflets advising the population to remain in their homes. However, after years of US air strikes and artillery barrages inflicting civilian deaths and injuries, thousands of people elected to flee. A police officer manning a checkpoint on the occupation-held eastern side of the Arghandab River told Reuters that as many as 4,000 villagers left the area for Kandahar.

Afghan government forces crossed the river and pushed into the valley last Wednesday, backed by Canadian and US troops, warplanes, unmanned Predator drones and helicopter gunships.

There are conflicting reports regarding casualties. Kandahar governor Asadullah Khalid took journalists to one village, Manara, where the mangled bodies of as many as 19 men lay around a crater caused by a 225-kilogram bomb dropped by a US warplane. Khalid claimed that at least 105 guerillas had been killed during the operation.