Canadian Forces and the Afghan National Army have successfully completed a joint-strategic mission in the Zhari district in southern Afghanistan.
Operation Tashwish Mekawa, also known as operation "no worries," began with a surprise ground assault against insurgents on Nov. 17 at an important crossroads in the Sangsar area, located about 40 kilometres west of Kandahar City.
The goal of the mission was to drive out insurgents in order to establish a fortified compound from which security forces could control the crossroads.
Maj. Richard Moffat, commanding officer for the Canadian battle group, said the successful operation demonstrates to local Afghans that establishing security in the area is a priority.
"We're telling them right now that we're here to stay. We're here to bring security and as long as we'll be around bad guys have no chance," Moffat said.
The Zhari district is located on the north bank of the Arghandab River. The fertile river valley is located in the central part of Kandahar province and functions as the gateway to Kandahar city.
The lush farmland of grape and pomegranate orchards would have provided the Taliban with easy access to its former stronghold of Kandahar City.
The mission was the same operation where Cpl. Nicolas Raymond Beauchamp, 28, of the 5th Field Ambulance in Valcartier and Pte. Michel Levesque, 25, of 3rd Battalion, the Royal 22nd Regiment were killed.
"The night before the assault, soldiers of the 3rd Battalion, Royal 22e R�giment (3 R22eR) Battle Group and elements of two ANA kandaks (battalions) infiltrated the area around the crossroads," Lt.-Cmdr. Pierre Babinsky wrote in an article on the Department of National Defence and Canadian Forces website.
"It was during this staging phase that two Canadian soldiers and their Afghan interpreter were killed by the explosion of a roadside bomb that hit their armoured vehicle."
Seventy-three military personnel and one diplomat have died in Afghanistan since the combat mission began in 2002.
