Four hundred U.S. Marines and 100 Afghan soldiers stormed into a
Taliban-held area of southern Afghanistan Wednesday as part of a new
operation to gain control of the area ahead of next week's presidential
elections.
Military forces flew by helicopter to the Nawzad district of Helmand
province to begin what the military is calling operation "Eastern
Resolve 2." U.S. officials said they want to make sure the Independent
Election Commission and Afghan national security forces "have the
security to do their jobs."
The U.S. military gave no details about casualties.
Taliban militants have vowed to disrupt the August 20 elections with attacks on polling stations and threats against voters.
A roadside bomb wounded two Associated Press journalists who were
embedded with the U.S. military in southern Afghanistan. One of the
journalists (Indonesian Andi Jatmiko) suffered leg and rib injuries, while the other (Spaniard Emilio Morenatti) suffered a leg wound that resulted in the loss of his foot.
AP President Tom Curley said their injuries reflect the risks that
journalists encounter every day as they report from the "front lines of
the most dangerous places in the world."
In northern Afghanistan, meanwhile, Taliban fighters attacked a police
compound in the province of Kunduz, killing the district police chief
and a guard. And near Kabul, Interior Ministry officials said Taliban
militants planted a bomb that killed five policemen and wounded four
others.
The Pentagon has called on NATO allies and other countries with troops
in Afghanistan to maintain their current higher troop levels even after
next week's vote.
Several allied countries have increased their troop presence in
Afghanistan to help provide security for the election, but those troops
are expected to go home once it is over.