Guide Note

On December 11, 2007, NATO announced that a fierce battle to retake the Taliban's only urban base of Musa Qala in southern Afghanistan was complete. The victory was important, since the struggle in the area is viewed by many as symbolic of the larger, country-wide conflict.

Fast Facts

1. Afghan soldiers were backed by British, U.S. and Estonian forces
2. The Taliban forces withdrew after heavy bombardment
3. Musa Qala is located in the mountains north of the Helmand Province
4. Musa Qala supplies approximately half of the world's opium
5. Terrorists used proceeds from the sale of drugs to purchase weapons and supplies
6. Much of the local rural population was decimated in the conflicts

Musa Qala was taken by British forces in 2006 and control was given to tribal elders who promised to keep out the Taliban. In February of 2007, the agreement faltered and the Taliban retook the base bloodlessly. Shortly thereafter, NATO and Afghan forces vowed to reclaim control of the area.