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Australians land at US Marines base in Afghanistan
A group of Australian troops flew in overnight to a desert airstrip in southern Afghanistan seized by the US Marines last week, officials said on Tuesday.
A group of Australian troops flew in overnight to a desert airstrip in southern Afghanistan seized by the US Marines last week, officials said on Tuesday.
Marine spokesman Captain Stuart Upton declined to say how many had arrived or what sort of unit they were, saying only: "There are more Australians here now than just the liaison officers." Australia, Britain and Germany all have liaison officers at the airstrip to coordinate coalition forces in Afghanistan.
The Marines continued to fly in supplies and equipment overnight and Captain David Romley said there was an average of 10 KC130 Hercules planes arriving at the airstrip each night, in addition to flights by larger C17 cargo planes.
Apart from the Australians, more supplies and medical equipment arrived overnight on Tuesday. Officials have not said how many troops, vehicles or aircraft there are at the base, though they have been building up the presence on the ground ever since seizing the airstrip on November 25.
Marines in light armoured vehicles and all-terrain humvees continue to patrol the desert around the airstrip but Romley said there had been no hostile contacts for the past week. Pilots flying reconnaissance missions in Huey and Cobra helicopters reported seeing isolated civilian vehicles and groups of people in the desert. They fly with night vision goggles and an infra-red sensor that allows them to pick out anything warm, right down to a small animal running across the sand.
One Huey pilot who goes by the call-sign Shaggy said he regularly saw what appeared to be farmers driving tractors or other civilian vehicles. "Some of them will stop and look at you. The Cobra guys have had people surrender to them but we're not interested. Some of them act like we're not even there," he said. As the Marines have built up their ground and air assets the reconnaissance teams have pushed out further into the desert, but officials still decline to give any clues on what they are here for beyond holding the airstrip which is within striking distance of Kandahar.
US jets have been keeping up a bombing campaign against the city, which is the Taliban's last major stronghold, and Marine Corps Harrier jets have dropped bombs in southern Afghanistan in recent days.
Bureau Report
Marine spokesman Captain Stuart Upton declined to say how many had arrived or what sort of unit they were, saying only: "There are more Australians here now than just the liaison officers." Australia, Britain and Germany all have liaison officers at the airstrip to coordinate coalition forces in Afghanistan.
The Marines continued to fly in supplies and equipment overnight and Captain David Romley said there was an average of 10 KC130 Hercules planes arriving at the airstrip each night, in addition to flights by larger C17 cargo planes.
Apart from the Australians, more supplies and medical equipment arrived overnight on Tuesday. Officials have not said how many troops, vehicles or aircraft there are at the base, though they have been building up the presence on the ground ever since seizing the airstrip on November 25.
Marines in light armoured vehicles and all-terrain humvees continue to patrol the desert around the airstrip but Romley said there had been no hostile contacts for the past week. Pilots flying reconnaissance missions in Huey and Cobra helicopters reported seeing isolated civilian vehicles and groups of people in the desert. They fly with night vision goggles and an infra-red sensor that allows them to pick out anything warm, right down to a small animal running across the sand.
One Huey pilot who goes by the call-sign Shaggy said he regularly saw what appeared to be farmers driving tractors or other civilian vehicles. "Some of them will stop and look at you. The Cobra guys have had people surrender to them but we're not interested. Some of them act like we're not even there," he said. As the Marines have built up their ground and air assets the reconnaissance teams have pushed out further into the desert, but officials still decline to give any clues on what they are here for beyond holding the airstrip which is within striking distance of Kandahar.
US jets have been keeping up a bombing campaign against the city, which is the Taliban's last major stronghold, and Marine Corps Harrier jets have dropped bombs in southern Afghanistan in recent days.
Bureau Report