Nawzad, Afghanistan

Nawzad
Nawzad in June 2009
Nawzad Location in Afghanistan
Coordinates: 32°24′N 64°28′E / 32.400°N 64.467°E / 32.400; 64.467Coordinates: 32°24′N 64°28′E / 32.400°N 64.467°E / 32.400; 64.467
Country	Afghanistan
Province	Helmand Province
District	Nawzad District
Elevation	4,006 ft (1,221 m)
Time zone	UTC+4:30

Nawzad (also Now Zad) is a small town, the centre of Nawzad District in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. It is located at 32°24′00″N 64°28′00″E / 32.4000°N 64.4667°E / 32.4000; 64.4667 at an altitude of 1221 metres ASL.

Conflict

During the early post-Taliban years, the town thrived, helped by irrigation from the Helmand and Arghandab Valley Authority.^[1] People came for miles to its bazaar; the United Nations even began building a school. But by early 2007, the estimated 10,000 civilian population, including Nawzad's police force, had fled, driven out by violence from returning Taliban insurgents.^[2]

In the years following, Nawzad became a ghost town and British, Gurkha, and Estonian forces only managed to maintain a stalemate in the region. Now Zad became one of the most bitterly contested districts since British forces first moved into Helmand in 2006.

In December 2007 a small force of a British Army OMLT (Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team) with 7 soldiers drawn from 26 Regiment, Royal Artillery & 151 (London) Transport Regiment, Royal Logistic Corps who were mentoring a company of approximately 70 ANA soldiers supported by 14 soldiers from US Special Forces Task Force 232 deployed from Camp Shorabak. The task was to provide a diversion for the upcoming Operation Mar Karadad (the re-taking of Musa Qualeh). This was done by mounting a deliberate attack on Nipple Compound, a Taliban compound to the south of Now Zad.

In 2008, U.S. Marines arrived to replace the British and Estonian contingents. However, as of June 2009, the Marines seemed to have come to a similar standstill with the Taliban insurgents.^[2]

In December 2009, they reported to have pressed into a remote Taliban stronghold during the joint American-British Operation "Cobra's Anger".^[3]

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Nawzad.

• Battle of Now Zad
• Battle of Musa Qala
• Siege of Sangin
• Helmand Province campaign – ongoing ISAF campaign in Helmand Province, Afghanistan

References