Go Canada

This deserves more hailing:

NATO assault leaves scores of Taliban dead

Dozens of Taliban insurgents were killed in fighting that began late Saturday in Panjwaii, about 30 kilometres west of Kandahar, and continued until early Sunday.

Between 60 and 72 Taliban fighters died, NATO said, although the death toll could not be independently confirmed.
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It was the most significant victory for NATO since it took over control of international forces in southern Afghanistan July 31, killing nearly 10 per cent of the estimated numbers of Taliban insurgents believed to be in the south.

“Ten per cent losses on the enemy insurgent side is a very significant loss of their ability to conduct operations,” Col. Lavoie said.

“It should show the Canadian public the high degree of training that Canadian soldiers have.”

There were no casualties among the Canadians, members of NATO's International Security Assistance Force, or ISAF.

However, sources said as many as seven Afghan police died in the battles.

Bodies and body parts were found scattered throughout the area following the fighting, which was part of a “deliberate operation,” NATO said in a statement.
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Afghan and Canadian forces deliberately moved into position around three known Taliban locations, making their presence known, hoping for a reaction, Col. Lavoie said.

When the Taliban moved on them, the Canadians and Afghan security forces were ready, he said.

“We were able to engage the enemy through fire and manoeuvre without ever having to have ourselves backed into a corner,” he said.
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NATO ground forces used artillery and air strikes to subdue the Taliban fighters.
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In an unusual move, NATO described the fighting as a Taliban defeat.
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Canada currently has roughly 2,200 soldiers working under the NATO umbrella in the Kandahar region. Twenty-six Canadian soldiers and one diplomat have been killed since Canada deployed to Afghanistan in early 2002. Of those, 19 have died during the past six months.

Step into the killbox!