A Battlefield Tourist

Taliban Assault on District Center Defeated

Jul 2 at 10:10pm by David Tate

Afghan Security Forces successfully defended the Deh Chopan district center in western Zabul Province July 2nd.  The early morning, two hour firefight left five Taliban dead.  Two Taliban and two police officers were wounded.

Since US Marines first air assaulted into the region in 2004, Deh Chopan has been a continually contested district.  As recently as June 15, a combined Coalition/Afghan Security Forces force killed 20 Taliban fighters after their reconnaissance patrol was ambushed with rockets, mortars and small arms.

Deh Chopan is one of the first districts to receive training from the Focused District Development (FDD) program; an American initiative to completely overhaul the Afghan police forces.  Zabul police forces are often cited by US officials in regards to their effectiveness against the Taliban.

This attack is the latest in a series of attacks against district centers in southeast Afghanistan within the past two weeks.  June 24th, three district centers were successfully defended by Afghan Security Forces and US air power against concentrated Taliban attacks in neighboring Paktia and Paktika Provinces.

Image:  District Center, Deh Chopan district, Zabul Province.   Provided by the US Army/Capt. Bob Everdeen.