Afghan offensive prompts rise in use of human shields

With the assault in its fifth day,insurgents are firing at Afghan troops from inside or next to compounds where women and children appear to have been ordered to stand on a roof or in a window,said Gen Mohiudin Ghori,the brigade commander for Afghan troops in Marja.

“Especially in the south of Marja,the enemy is fighting from compounds where soldiers can very clearly see women or children on the roof or in a second-floor or third-floor window,” Ghori said. “They are trying to get us to fire on them and kill the civilians.”

Ghori said troops have made choices either not to fire at the insurgents with civilians nearby or they have had to target and advance much more slowly in order to distinguish between militants and civilians as they go.

Even with such caution on both the NATO and Afghan side,civilians have been killed. NATO has confirmed 15 civilian deaths in the operation. Afghan rights groups say at least 19 have been killed.

In northern Marja on Wednesday,US Marines fanned out through poppy fields,dirt roads and side alleys to take control of a broader stretch of area from insurgents as machine gun fire rattled in the distance.

The Marines found several compounds that had primitive drawings on their walls depicting insurgents blowing up tanks or helicopters,a sign that Afghan troops say revealed strong Taliban support in the neighbourhood.

Lt Col Brian Christmas,commander of Third Battalion,Sixth Marines,said security has improved enough in northern Marja for Afghan police to step in. Other Marine units have taken control over main locations in the center of town.

“Bringing in the Afghan police frees up my forces to clear more insurgent zones,” Christmas said.

Combat engineers were building a fortified base at the entrance of town for the police,who are expected to arrive on Thursday.