Afghan Forces Retake Helmand’s Nawa But Likely To Collapse Again
MEP: The Afghan security forces have successfully managed to retake the administrative buildings of Nawa district of Helmand province but the threat of collapse of Nawa and other districts are frightfully concerned by residents.
Omar Zwak, a spokesman for the governor of Helmand in talks with Middle East Press, explicitly stated that Nawa district did not collapse but serious siege by armed opposition had taken place.
He said government forces last night managed to beat the armed Taliban from the district and break the siege and open the way for other forces.
Helmand governor’s spokesman added the governor of the province was also presented at the forefront of the battle and personally led the operation.
The armed Taliban have suffered heavy casualties during the operations and a number of their bodies left on the battlefield, the source further added.
Zwak titled the reports of the fall of Nawa district into the hands of Taliban as “baseless” and said “the district has only been blocked and would never fall”.
But Nawa district had collapsed!!
Meanwhile, a source who did not want his name to be taken told the Middle East Press “the district headquarters of security management had collapsed on Wednesday evening and with the arrival of fresh troops, at 12:00 am last night came back under government control”.
He said the district had been captured by armed Taliban from four days ago, but last night the government forces succeeded to retake only government offices and the headquarters of the district, which covers an area of one kilometer.
Continuing operations
However, Zwak says the military operations in a number of districts specially Garmsir and Nawa continue.
According to him, operations and clashes have been intensified in recent days as reinforcements in the province is on the increase.
But the source, who declined to be named, said heavy clashes in the districts of Garmsi, Nawa and near the town of Lashkar Gah continue and the risk of falling again of the two districts is continuing.
The armed Taliban have also said that major parts of Nawa district are under their control as well as many security checkpoints.
