Afghan and coalition forces killed 12 militants March 27, during a raid of a militant location to further degrade bomb-making and facilitation networks in northern Helmand province.
In Nahr Surk District, Helmand province, approximately 125 km west of Kandahar, Afghan and coalition forces targeted a compound housing militants. When the assault force arrived at the targeted location, militants positioned south of the compound immediately began attacking the force using small-arms fire. The forces returned fire and called for supporting fire to diminish the threat of the militants who were concealed in a line of trees and maneuvering in a field, resulting in four enemies killed.
Having eliminated the immediate threats, the assault force proceeded to the target, meeting resistance from militants located inside buildings on the compound.
Aware that women and children may be inside, Afghan forces called out for non-combatants to exit the buildings, but none complied. The assault force attempted to clear one building where two militants had barricaded themselves behind women and children. When the assault force encountered the armed militants, they killed them without harming the non-combatants.
As they continued to clear the compound, the force began receiving small-arms fire from multiple barricaded shooters inside another building. The assault force proceeded to clear the rest of the compound without incident.
Nine women and 20 children were protected despite the militants using a common Taliban tactic of placing innocent civilians in harm’s way. One child received a minor injury during the engagement and received immediate care from a coalition medic with no further treatment required.
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