BRITISH troops have pulled out of one of the most volatile outlying posts in northern Helmand province in southern Afghanistan as part of a deal to hand over responsibility for isolated district centres to Afghan forces.

The exit from Musa Qala, where six soldiers were killed in fighting with the Taleban over the summer, is the first move in a new strategy to transfer security duties in northern Helmand to the Afghans.

Brigadier Ed Butler, who has just returned after commanding 16 Air Assault Brigade in Helmand province over the past six months, said yesterday that it had made sense to create a front line in northern Helmand to take on the Taleban. “If it hadn’t been in the north, the front line would have been around Highway 1 [the road that runs through central Helmand] which would have brought the fighting to the heart of the province,” he said.

Now, he said, it was possible to change the strategy — agreed with the local tribal elders and Engineer Mohammed Daud, the Helmand governor — because over the past six months his troops had inflicted “a tactical defeat” on the Taleban.

The Musa Qala handover will be followed by a similar process at Sangin, Nowzad, Gareschk and Kajaki. Brigadier Butler had first placed small units of soldiers at the locations because of a request from the Helmand Governor, supported by President Karzai. Sixteen of his men were killed in action in outlying parts of northern Helmand.

Brigadier Butler admitted that on occasions the fighting had been so tough that his troops had “come pretty close” to running out of food, water and ammunition. Sometimes his men had been down to “belt rations” before helicopters could get in to resupply them.

Now, Brigadier Butler said, there was strong evidence that morale was low among the Taleban and that their foot soldiers were having to be cajoled into fighting. “But that doesn’t mean the fighting’s over,” he said. His force is being replaced by 3 Commando Brigade.

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