KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - The commander of Canada's troops overseas says it was a tough summer in Kandahar.
Lt.-Gen. Marc Lessard said things had regressed in the Panjwaii district, the hottest spot in Canada's newly focused area of operations in the province.
"It's been a tough go," Lessard said Saturday. "In June... I would say we were regressing. The enemy in eastern Panjwaii was definitely having the initiative. I believe in the last two months we're holding. We, I believe, have stopped the enemy initiative.
"That's good, but that's not good enough."
The commander of Canadian Expeditionary Force Command said the coming months will see a flurry of military operations in the region.
"There was a lot more enemy presence and a lot more activity and what we had to do was to... consolidate where we were," Lessard said of his last visit to Kandahar in June.
Previously, there weren't enough troops to expand and Task Force Canada needed to hold the areas where they did have a presence.
Now the coming months will see "massive activities," Lessard said, adding that they will be Afghan-led and will focus on improving security.
"The operations that will take place will be at a very, very high level in Zhari, Panjwaii and Dand," he said, adding that the fighting will be followed closely with projects to boost governance and development.
There has also been an influx of Afghan National Army soldiers who will allow a permanent presence for pro-government forces.
"We're definitely looking to our Afghan partners, police and ANA, to have a foot on the ground, ensure security, be seen to improve security," Lessard said.
The commander of coalition troops in southern Afghanistan has said they hope to clear insurgents from the areas around Kandahar city by the end of November.
British Maj.-Gen. Nick Carter has said that between 15,000 and 17,000 Afghan forces and 15,000 international troops will be involved in operations to root out an estimated 500 to 800 insurgents in Arghandab, Zhari and Panjwaii.
What happens this fall and the following months will be a big part of Canada's legacy in Afghanistan, Lessard said.
"From a pure Canadian point-of-view... when we cease operations we want to make sure that we've improved stability effects in our area of operations which mean Dand district and Panjwaii," he said.
"At the end of the day, when we cease operations in July -- and that's for me very important as the national commander -- we have to ensure the situation is better in Dand and better in Panjwaii, because that's part of our legacy. With the 150 plus killed, the hundreds of seriously injured, from our Canadian point-of-view that's our legacy."
Although the Canadian Forces has a tenth rotation of troops currently training for combat in Afghanistan as a contingency, Lessard said his orders from the government of Canada remain.
"Right now the direction I have from the chief of defence staff is very clear: All Canadian forces are to cease operations in July and we're to be out of the country at the end of the year."
