NATIONAL PICTURES As the early morning sun rises on Day 3 of Operation CHAKUSH continues in the upper Gereshk Valley between Sangin and Gereshk. Pictured on the Light Gun is Bombadier Dillan Evans, the Detchment Commander, oiling the buffers, in preparation for the days firing. British soldiers from the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), alongside their Afghan National Security Force (ANSF) counterparts have launched a further operation to drive the Taliban out of the Upper Gereshk Valley in Helmand Province, Southern Afghanistan. The Task Force level offensive, codenamed ‘Chakush' or ‘Hammer', began in the early hours of Tuesday 24 July 07 in the area between Heyderabad and Mirmandab, north east of Gereshk. Led by the British commanded Task Force Helmand, the operation is continuing the momentum towards expelling Taliban forces from areas of the Upper Gereshk Valley. ISAF's enduring objective is to extend the influence and control of Afghanistan's democratically elected Government as well as enabling vital reconstruction and development projects to take place. The creating of an enduring security presence in the Upper Gereshk Valley is an important step to achieving these objectives.
