By Carlotta Gall
New York Times
04 June 2003
PESHAWAR, Pakistan, June 3 - American forces have begun a large-scale operation in the Shahikot Mountains in southeastern Afghanistan, returning there to flush out rebels once more from the scene of a two-week battle against the Taliban and Al Qaeda last year.
Afghan security officials reported last week that Jalaluddin Haqqani, the Taliban's chief of staff, together with several Arab fighters, had returned recently to the area, where they fought American troops last spring.
Seven American soldiers died and 11 were wounded after the Taliban brought down two American helicopters on March 4 last year in what was the American military's deadliest day in its war against the Taliban.
Some 500 United States troops have been deployed in the latest campaign, which began on Monday.
"Intelligence sources have indicated there is a cell of Al Qaeda or Taliban operating in the mountains," Maj. Jack Marr told a pool reporter on the tarmac as he and his men boarded a Chinook helicopter at the beginning of the operation.
"This is one of the hottest areas in Afghanistan," he said. "It's the kind of environment in which we would expect to find a lot of men but not many women and children. If we find any prisoners we'll bring them back."
United States troops detained four men in the operation Monday at a remote farmhouse in the mountains, the pool reporter reported. They were hooded and bound and taken into custody, but other men were seen running from the farmhouse compound as the helicopters landed.
An Afghan intelligence official said that General Haqqani and other top Taliban commanders had arrived in the area barely a week ago and had reportedly set up a base in the mountains.
Among the Taliban were Saif Rahman Mansur, who led the Taliban fighters during the battle last year and who - like most of his men - escaped through the mountain passes into Pakistan afterward. With him are three prominent Arab fighters, including one who is reportedly keen to avenge the capture of his son by American forces last year.
The men have been handing out large sums to the mountain communities, and have successfully bought their silence, one Afghan intelligence official said. Mr. Mansur is from the region and has a brother living there. General Haqqani's brother, Haji Khalil, has also been seen in some of the mountain villages.
The group was either setting up a mountain base for ambushes on foreign forces or aid agencies, or they were planning to engage American troops in another battle, the official said.
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Citation: Carlotta Gall, "G.I.'s Move in Strength Against Afghan Rebels," New York Times, 4 June 2003.
Original URL: http://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/04/international/asia/04AFGH.html?ei=1&en=b0692033e7949f27&ex=1055759980&pagewanted=print&position=
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