U.S. Marines and Afghan soldiers conduct a census patrol in the Sangin district of Helmand province, Afghanistan, Jan.18, 2011. The Marines, assigned to India Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 2, conduct counterinsurgency operations in partnership with the International Security Assistance Force. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Dexter S. SaulisburyUncertain Spring Awaits Violent Afghan South -- Yahoo News/Reuters
ARGHANDAB, Afghanistan (Reuters) – Like the farmers, U.S. soldiers in this fertile river valley of southern Afghanistan are preparing for spring, and the surge in militant violence it usually brings, with the recent killing of a top public official signaling a hard fight ahead.
Between rocky outcrops, a network of combat outposts manned by U.S. and Afghan soldiers has emerged as winter draws to a close at the northern gateway to Kandahar City, to defend gains they say they made in late 2010.
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More News On Afghanistan
FACTBOX-Security developments in Afghanistan, Jan 31 -- Alert Net
NATO service member killed in Afghanistan -- Washington Post/AP
31 NATO service members killed in January in Afghanistan -- People's Daily
4 German soldiers killed in Afghanistan -- Press TV (Iran)
Another al Qaeda-linked Taliban commander targeted in Farah -- Long War Journal
UK commanders fear early pull-out as they make gains on Taliban -- London Evening Standard
New British troops aim to beat Taliban on trust -- AFP
French troops help ready Afghan army for handover -- AFP
Taliban 'killing their own' in bid to wrest back control in Sangin -- The Independent
Walking over IEDs in Sangin's 'bomb alley' -- BBC
Afghanistan Moves to Curb Use of Underage Soldiers -- Wall Street Journal
Recruiting of child Afghan fighters to end -- UPI
Agreement to end child recruitment in Afghan police -- AFP
Losses at Afghan Bank Could Be $900 Million -- New York Times
Kabul Bank employees flee amid investigation into lending -- Washington Post
Afghan Officials Shielded Bank From Scrutiny -- Wall Street Journal
Heroin use in UK halves in three months after failure of Afghanistan poppy crop -- The Daily Mail
Opium Wars -- National Geographic
The US is moving on from Afghanistan, but its troops are still dying there -- Gary Younge, The Guardian