The British Forces commander in Afghanistan played a personal role in the recapture of Musa Qala, the Taleban-controlled town in the north of Helmand province.

Brigadier Andrew Mackay, who commands 6,000 troops of 52 Brigade, walked for nearly a mile across no man’s land to reach the town as the battle raged. He then took up position on Roshan Hill, which overlooks Musa Qala.

The Taleban were driven from the town by a combination of American, British and Afghan troops, using a plan devised by Brigadier Mackay and his staff, called Operation Ma, which means “snake” in Pashtun.

The 50-year-old brigadier, who would normally have been expected to stay well clear of the frontline action, flew by helicopter to the area around Musa Qala and walked the last stage. He spent ten days supervising the attack on Musa Qala from his headquarters, “just a hole in the ground”, on Roshan Hill, about 700 yards from the fighting.

Back in the relative safety of Lashkar Gah, in southern Helmand province, where he is based, Brigadier Mackay said yesterday that he and his staff had come under fire from mortar rockets fired by the Taleban. “My driver shot two Taleban. If you have a brigadier firing, then you are really in trouble,” he said.

The night before the attack began, the brigadier spoke to his men. “I think I told them the best people are always good at Plan B, because Plan A never survives in the Army. But this time Plan A did survive.”

As part of his plan, US and Afghan troops began a “feint” – a decoy raid – on December 7, attacking the Taleban on the southwest edge of the town. The same night 600 troops in Chinook and Black Hawk helicopters, backed by Apache attack helicopters, seized Roshan Hill. The Taleban fled.

Later Brigadier Mackay, whose brigade is based in Edinburgh, walked down the main street of Musa Qala to speak with “euphoric” Afghan troops. “The Taleban will come back,” he said. “They understand the ground very well, travel light and move fast. They are never to be underestimated.”

He was right. Taleban forces launched a raid on Musa Qala yesterday but were driven back by Afghan troops. Four Taleban were reported to have been killed.

Brigadier Mackay, who has been in command in Helmand province since October, said that during his walk to Musa Qala he had come across three injured American soldiers. They were taken to safety by helicopter.

After reaching Roshan Hill, he began getting constant reports of how the battle was progressing, “making judgments about what to do”.

As the Taleban launched a mortar attack, their position was spotted by an American Apache attack helicopter. He said that Sergeant Malcolm Franks, 34, who was with him, picked up a general-purpose machinegun and fired in the direction advised by the Apache pilot, and the rockets stopped landing.

Brigadier Mackay praised the Afghan National Army for its involvement in retaking Musa Qala. “We kicked the door in and they went through it,” he said.

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