Three U.S. Army battalions from the 101st Airborne Division, supported by British engineers and in company with an Afghan National Army battalion, began an offensive in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province Sept. 15. The operation is focusing on the newly formed Zhari district as well as portions of Panjwai district west of the city of Kandahar. The offensive is targeting key villages that are Taliban strongholds, like Pashmul, Makuan and Singesar. To date in the war in Afghanistan, the area has no meaningful Afghan government presence and has been used as a base for Taliban attacks on the city of Kandahar and its environs.
