[moodymonster]

Eight British soldiers battle with 1,200 Taleban at 'Camp Incoming'
By Tim Albone
Our correspondent joins the training squad who are under fire daily at their outpost

THE view from the tiny British outpost above the town of Tangye in northern Helmand province was picture perfect.
A river snaked its way through a gorge, the sun shimmered off the water and beyond the town of mud-brick houses lay the blue waters of the Kajaki reservoir.

But the illusion of calm was shattered by gunfire at 9.00am yesterday. “It’s a bit early for playtime,” quipped Sergeant-Major Karl Brennan, 35, a barrel-chested Yorkshireman, as he and his seven collegues rushed to the perimeter wall.

Through their gunsights they could see Taleban fighters attacking the last town in the district still loyal to the Kabul Goverment — a town whose nearby hydro-electric dam provides most of southern Afghanistan’s power.

One group of Taleban fighters was battling pro-government militiamen on the edge of Tangye. A second group, hidden behind a rocky outcrop, was using mortars and machineguns to attack an Afghan police compound on a hill overlooking our own position. The police were retaliating with an old Russian anti-tank gun.

“If we lose that hill we are in big trouble,” said Captain Chris Woodward, 28. “They would have a direct view on our camp.”

The eight British soldiers — and 30 paratroopers camped near by — were soon drawn into the fight, opening up with mortars, Javelins and rounds from a 7.62 machinegun.

The battle raged for three hours. Bullets flew. A Taleban fighter was knocked over by a mortar blast and could be seen staggering away. A mud wall was knocked down, sending dirt billowing skywards.

The fighting ended only when the British summoned air power and the Taleban melted away, leaving behind at least two dead fighters.

Shortly after dark last night they attacked again — this time targeting our outpost directly with mortars and machinegun fire. The Afghan police guarding the outer perimeter vanished and the British fired 400 rounds to drive the enemy away.

For the eight British soldiers assigned to Tangye to train a contingent of 17 Afghan soldiers such attacks are now commonplace.

They moved in five weeks ago, shortly after two French soldiers were killed a few hundred yards from the outpost. Since then there have been only seven days on which the tiny Operational, Mentoring and Liaison Team has not seen action. As many as 1,200 Taleban fighters are thought to be hiding in the surrounding hills.

“We call it ‘Camp Incoming’ because we get so many mortars and rounds coming in,” said Sergeant-Major Brennan with a chuckle.
...

continued -> http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article...259756,00.html

3 hours, 2 kills !?!

looks like they don't have to hunt the Taliban down, just have camps as bait and get the Taliban when they appear.

[Sky Captain]

A couple of Canadian snipers could eradicate an entire Taliban patrol in minutes.
Hell, the Brit snipers are just as well trained.

[Kevin]

Hey if it stops them, all power to em.

I really don't care WHO does it.