The Royal Anglian Regiment Museum

To maintain the element of surprise, soldiers from A (Norfolk) Company set off overnight and on foot from their base in Sangin. They had to cover the 16 km (10 miles) distance to their starting position, carrying up to 36 kg (80 lbs) of equipment. This included heavy machine guns, mortars, grenade launchers and supplies.

At dawn the following day the Royal Anglian soldiers approached the Taliban positions from all sides, blocking their escape routes. The Afghan National Army drew them out so that the Royal Anglians could push them further north and out of the Sangin Valley area.

The soldiers came under attack from small arms fire and rocket propelled grenades, which continued throughout the day.

Despite severe fire fights, A Company and B (Suffolk) Company continued their work in the Sangin Valley clearing the Juysalay area. The remaining Taliban were destroyed, or managed to escape from the area.

Later, after they pitched camp, there was a brief fire fight with more Taliban fighters. A Royal Anglian soldier was shot in the chest, but the bullet was deflected by his body armour, resulting in a less serious wrist injury.

Lieutenant Nick Denning from Colchester said: ‘This is the first time that we’ve marched out like this on an operation rather than dismount from vehicles nearer the starting point. It was an important operation to clear out Taliban strongholds from where experienced fighters have been launching attacks on ANA patrol bases around Sangin, and preventing essential reconstruction and development taking place.’

Major Mick Ashton, Officer Commanding B Company said: ‘We are now holding the positions we’ve taken and are busy securing the area to allow the irrigation work to continue. We’re also talking to local elders and tribal leaders to reassure them that we are working hard to provide better protection and increased stability for the area as well as for our logistics convoys.’

Major Dom Biddick from Leicestershire, Officer Commanding A Company said: ‘We have shown the Taliban that we are not going to let them attack us without retaliating. More importantly we have shown the population that we are here to stay and to provide security for them.’

More than 12% of the population of Afghanistan is involved in the cultivation of opium poppies, and production increased by 49% last year (Source: the Guardian, 27.6.07). However, destroying the crops without providing farmers with an economic alternative would make our troops unpopular with the local people and would increase support for the Taliban in those areas.

Below: Private Nadriva (left) and other ‘Vikings’ with some of the drug crops of the region, opium poppies and cannabis.

The ‘Vikings’ took the lead in a massive military operation in southern Afghanistan near the town of Gereshk.

The mission, code named Operation Silicon, was to remove Taliban elements from a specified area. It allowed the Afghan National Army to move in and re-establish the Government of Afghanistan’s authority, and involved more than 2,000 coalition personnel.

The Operations Officer, Captain Phill Moxey explained: ‘It was a very complex operation which involved several different units all supporting the Battalion. Our lads had to dismount from their armoured personnel carriers and physically remove Taliban elements which were terrorising the local population and preventing law and order.’

On 29 April, at 5am local time, A (Norfolk) and B (Suffolk) Companies, supported by other units, moved into the targeted area, around buildings and across poppy fields in search of Taliban elements.

The Companies were soon engaged by groups of Taliban, who offered stiff resistance, using small arms, RPGs (rocket propelled grenades), rockets and mortars. Throughout the day, the level of ferocity and scale of attacks increased.

Supported by artillery, aviation and Apache attack helicopters, the Companies pushed forward, clearing all Taliban positions, without sustaining any casualties.

‘The Taliban tried to take us on but they were no match for us. We had too much firepower with attack helicopters, artillery guns and armoured vehicles,’ declared Captain Dave Robinson, Second-in-Command of B Company.