THE latest stage of the Royal Marines’ winter offensive against the Taleban saw the enemy’s stranglehold on the southern town of Garmsir broken.

For the first time Afghan Army gunners supported the commando-led Operation Glacier, an all-night assault on Taleban headquarters and a stronghold to the south of the town in Helmand province.

Artillery and air strikes were the curtain raiser to the attack which involved more than 250 troops from the Brigade Reconnaissance Force, 29 Commando Regiment Royal Artillery, Zulu and India Companies RM, Afghan soldiers and the Light Dragoons.

Having pummeled the Taleban positions, Zulu Company led the assault on three linked compounds which served as the insurgents’ headquarters, while the BRF secured the flank against attacks by the insurgents.

The commandos found an intricate network of trenches and underground bunkers; some of the trenches were more than 150ft long with firing positions and dugouts.

Once captured from the rebels, the compounds were put to the torch – another step in denying the Taleban a foothold in the southern part of Helmand.

“The Garmsir area is littered with Taleban prepared positions – it’s almost like a World War I battlefield,” said Maj Jules Wilson.

“Previous reconnaissance had identified a number of Taleban defences, but not to the extent that this operation revealed. Our troops destroyed a number of trench systems, as well as a number of compounds which were being used to shelter fighters from view.”

Garmsir was once a thriving regional centre, but when the Taleban seized power the locals fled into the surrounding desert and the town itself became deserted and fell into disrepair. As for the Taleban, they treated Garmsir as the ‘gateway to Helmand’.

Before unleashing Glacier, operation commander Lt Col Rob MaGowan held shuras – traditional Moslem councils – with local elders to ensure no civilians would be in the line of fire.

Gunners were impressed by the effectiveness of Afghan fire support; for the past four months 29 Commando Regiment has taken Afghan artillery teams under its wing and taught them the art of firepower.

This was the first time the Afghan gunners had fired their D30 guns in anger. “Considering they were involved in a complex plan with UK and US artillery, mortars and air assets, they performed extremely well,” said Maj Nick Sargent, battery commander of the operation.