Troops looking to consolidate gains

A soldier from F Company (Fire Support) 1 Royal Welsh seen during Operation Moshtarak in Afghanistan
12 April 2012

British forces face an ongoing battle to win the hearts and minds of Afghans as the early stages of a major offensive to capture Taliban strongholds were declared a success.

As military chiefs told how the launch of Operation Moshtarak went to plan, a British officer on the front line spoke of the "burden of responsibility" on troops, adding: "The hard work is still to be done."

Major Richard Gregory, Officer Commanding Fire Support Company, Royal Welsh Regiment, revealed how he and his comrades were "knee deep in mud" during the offensive.

He was speaking as tributes were paid to "utterly dedicated" Lance Sergeant Dave Greenhalgh, 25, who was killed when his vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device (IED) during the launch of the operation in Nad-e-Ali on Saturday. Another British soldier, from 6 Rifles, died on Sunday in an explosion while on foot patrol near Sangin in an unconnected operation.

Maj Gregory said Operation Moshtarak was more daunting than his experiences in Iraq and Northern Ireland. His regiment "successfully" took their objective to establish a patrol base east of Garbay Noray, the Ministry of Defence said. The Afghanistan flag was raised by the regiment as part of attempts to win hearts and minds of locals - but forces "still need to prove themselves", another major on the ground added.

More than 1,000 British troops took part in Operation Moshtarak alongside Afghan forces. Major General Gordon Messenger told a press briefing in central London that commanders on the ground were not complacent but were "very much of the view this has gone according to plan".

Meanwhile, Nato has apologised after 12 Afghans died when two rockets fired at insurgents missed their target and struck a house during the second day of Operation Moshtarak.

Asked about the civilian deaths, Armed Forces Minister Bill Rammell told GMTV: "This incident involved American troops. General McChrystal has rightly suspended the use of this particular rocket system pending an investigation because we are determined to do everything possible to avoid civilian casualties to win the hearts and minds of the local population."

Separately, a British soldier was shot dead during a firefight in southern Afghanistan. The soldier, from 2nd Battalion, The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment, was killed as a result of small arms fire in the Musa Qala area on Sunday evening.

The death was not linked to the ongoing Operation Moshtarak. Next of kin have been informed.

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