45 Commando Lion

Tackling Taliban and Insurgents

The previous page was: "45 Commando Helmand"

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45-Commando-Lion; Royal Marines delivered telling blows to insurgents across southern Afghanistan, seizing the impetus in the struggle to bring peace and stability to Kandahar and Helmand.

With the winter sun slowly rising over the upper Sangin valley, 120-men of X-Ray and Yankee Companies, of 45 Commando, and 30 Afghan troops lay in wait on the banks of the Helmand River.

All through the night the men had slogged over rugged farm land, dissected by irrigation ditches and canals.

Now, at dawn, they were poised to unleash operation 'Ghartse Palang'-Lion-against Taliban strongholds around Mazak, a mile or so outside the Commandos forward base, Inkerman.

With first light they pushed into the sprawling series of interlocking compounds, guided by the Afghan soldiers whose knowledge of the land and the people proved vital.

45 Commando Helmand

Be wary of booby traps

Unless you are confident that the enemy are inside, then your entry is always a 'soft knock'. Before entering any compound, you always have to be aware of the threat of booby traps.

This undoubtedly puts stress on the younger lads, but for the members of a troop this is part of daily routine that has to become the norm.

45-cdo-Lion the operation in Sangin; Searching compounds does not merely require cool heads and brave hearts. It also demands man's best friend; specialists dogs (plus handlers) were fundamental to Operation Lion; and of course metal detectors.

The deeper the troops moved through the complex, the more search teams began to unearth: rocket propelled grenades, explosives charges, bomb, shells, fuses, rifles and pistols.

With an ever-growing haul; and more and more of the compound; falling into Allied hands, the enemy belatedly woke up and began to offer organised resistance. As the Taliban massed for an assault on the Commandos, 8 Troop took up a position on the north side of the compound and waited.

When the enemy swarmed forward

When the enemy swarmed forward, hurling grenades, spraying the terrain with burst of sub machine gun fire; and brandishing their AK47s. The barrels of 29 Commando Regiment RA's 105mm cannons barked, their mortars roared, the grenades rained down then the Commando's heavy machine guns ratteled loudly. The wall of fire brought the enemy onslaught to an instant halt.

While 8 Troop parried the enemy counter-attack, their comrades were busy trawling through the compounds. They left the best till last; a bomb factory with two improvised explosive devices ready set to go off and others filled with metal shrapnel being prepared. The bombs will harm no-one now. They have been destroyed by the Commandos.

Lieutenant-Colonel Jim Morris

The destruction of the substantial arms cache was the last act of lion, an operation which received praise from commando leaders in Afghanistan.

"Yankee Company executed this dangerous operation with cunning, determination and bravery," said 45's Commanding Officer Lieutenant-Colonel Jim Morris.

"It was a great success with a significant haul of weapons, ammunition and explosives removed from Taleban hands. Sangin is more stable as a result."

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Brigadier Gordon Messenger added:

3rd Commando Brigade Commanding Officer Brigadier Gordon Messenger added: "The successes of Operation Lion are not unusual. Day in, day out, our troops are on the ground, working with the local population, focused on getting inside the enemy's mind, disrupting him where he least expects it and denying him the freedom of movement that he seeks."

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