NATO reflects on successful 2011
2011 saw one of the most successful years for the British operation in Afghanistan, NATO has claimed.
The securing of Taliban stronghold Kandahar was amongst those called out as being key to the "considerable advances" made by British troops in 2011, thenews.com.pk reports.
Elsewhere, the focus has turned to disrupting the Haqqani network of insurgents, who were responsible for many of the high-profile attacks in Kabul last year, including the attack on the US embassy in September.
Operations to destroy the rebel group will see troops move to the Afghan-Pakistan border where many of the insurgents are thought to be based.
The operation is expected top be a dangerous one, despite advances in the country, making military insurance more important than ever. Despite the inherent danger, however, Kabul is fast becoming a "thriving commercial capital" where attempts to attack the area are being fought by residents on the ground.
Speaking to mod.uk of what 2011 offered as well as what to expect in the year ahead, International Security Assistance Force spokesperson, Brigadier General Carsten Jacobson, explained: "The success has been so great that insurgents have largely lost control of the area and now rely on IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices) as their primary method of attack.
"[NATO forces have] significantly disrupted the Haqqani Network through Operations Shamshir and Knife Edge, where coalition forces captured or eliminated over 500 insurgent leaders and fighters last fall."
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