Operation closes area crucial to Taliban & dust storm threat to troops' Xmas R&R 22.12.11
2Nearly 1000 British and Afghan soldiers have taken part in a major operation to clear insurgents from a crucial area of Helmand Province. Around 280 British troops joined forces with 550 warriors from the Afghan National Army (ANA) and patrolmen from the Afghan Uniformed Police (AUP) in the area where the boundaries of Nad-e Ali, Nahr-e Saraj, and Lashkar Gah districts meet. Operation Zamestani Peerozi, or 'Winter Success', was planned by Afghan National Army staff and was led by Brigadier General Sheren Shah, commander of the 3rd Brigade of 215 Corps. ISAF troops mentored and advised Afghan soldiers and headquarters staff through the operation, which cleared insurgents from the area before building new checkpoints to increase security.
And around 80 soldiers may not get back to the UK from Afghanistan for Christmas with their loved ones because of the dust storms around Camp Bastion. On Tuesday the bad weather forced Prime Minister David Cameron to abandon trying to get there, forcing him to land at Kandahar Airfield. Now the poor conditions in Helmand province are threatening to prevent some soldiers returning home on R&R in time for the festive season. It is all because of strong winds blowing large amounts of dust up from the Iranian border, made worse by unusually low temperatures stopping the sand being dispersed into the atmosphere. The result is a thick pack of dust lingering in the air space above Bastion, limiting visibility for pilots below 5000 feet. Whilst no decision on the remaining flights has been made the RAF insist they are doing everything they can to ensure that as many people get home to Christmas as possible.