NATO said on Thursday (February 25) joint security forces in Afghanistan led by the U.S. Marines need a few more days to clear Marjah so that villagers can return and restart their lives.
NATO spokesman Eric G. Trembly confirmed it during a joint news conference with the Afghan Defence Ministry.
"Today the ANSF (Afghan National Security Forces) and ISAF (International Security Assistance Forces) are shifting from a clear to old posture in Nad Ali, we will need few more days to clear Marjah and improve the security situation by separating the insurgents from the population," said Trembly.
He also said the insurgents have set traps which makes it harder for the troops to clear the way.
"When we say that we want to separate the insurgents from the population it's not only physically dealing with the insurgents, but it's also physically and removing the threat that the insurgent have laid out and kills Afghans, because they have laid out improvised explosive devices on the main roads, because they have laid down booby-traps in houses and bunkers where the children can go and play and get killed," Trembly added.
The Helmand operation is an early test of Obama's plan to add 30,000 troops to win control of Taliban bastions and hand them over to Afghan authorities before the start of a gradual U.S. troop withdrawal in 2011.
Earlier on Thursday, Afghan governor of Helmand Gulab Mangal introduced Haji Zahir as the new Marjah chief who will lead the rebuilding and reconstruction projects in the area.
