Australian Troops in major battles with taliban

Taking the fight to the taliban. Your Defense News

Australian Special Operations Task Group (SOTG) and the Mentoring and Reconstruction Task Force (MRTF) have been involved in major combat operations against Taliban insurgents during operations which began in March.

SOTG operations supported coalition force operations in Helmand province which has taken Taliban insurgents by surprise and left their operations in north Kajaki in disarray.[...]

"The SOTG were in the field, deep inside a Taliban stronghold for 26 days. They were involved in 11 major contacts with Taliban insurgents that resulted in significant disruptions to Taliban activities."[...]

"On the first of April, Australian troops entered an area that was considered an insurgent stronghold and came under heavy and sustained contact with the Taliban. It was a day-long series of attacks through 12 compounds. Australian forces responded aggressively against the attackers and while the Taliban were determined in their actions, they were seriously routed."

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During a recent operation near Karakak, approximately 12 kilometres north of Tarin Kowt, the MRTF encountered a large number of Taliban insurgents while conducting security support for an Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team (OMLT) patrol.

The Taliban attacked the elements of the MRTF using small arms fire and rocket propelled grenades during the intense contact. Dutch helicopters and US aircraft were called to provide close air support against almost 40 insurgents.

The Commanding Officer of the MRTF, Lieutenant Colonel Shane Gabriel said the MRTF responded immediately and took the fight to insurgents, regaining the initiative.

"This was a very significant action. It resulted in numerous insurgent casualties and it has pushed them back from an area where they enjoyed relative freedom of action,"

"It has put a very big hole in their plans," LTCOL Gabriel said. Operating near-by, the attack drew support from SOTG elements which blocked the withdrawing Taliban. The SOTG came into contact with approximately ten insurgents. During the extended contact a number of Taliban were killed and a large weapons and IED cache were found. These were subsequently destroyed.