The Army have released information about a large mission conducted by hundreds of soldiers from The Black Watch.
According to spokespeople from Task Force Helmand, soldiers have smashed through an insurgent stronghold, destroying an intricate network of tunnels and uncovering a series of Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) factories in a night time aviation assault.
The soldiers from The Black Watch, 3rd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland were supported by Afghan Warriors and Canadian IED experts. They swooped into Howz-e-Maded in Zhari District in the early hours of Monday.
Supported by British, Canadian and American fast jets, attack helicopters and unmanned drones, the soldiers touched down in an area known to be one of the biggest insurgent strongholds in southern Afghanistan. One of the soldiers who took part in the operation was Private Kevin Murphy, 28, from Cowdenbeath.
He said: "The weight of fire from the aircraft was staggering; it was like a fireworks show as heavy-calibre cannon and rockets ripped into the tree-lines around us as the insurgent tried to re-group; some of it was very close to us but we had total faith in the pilots above."
As dawn broke on the first day, soldiers found a cache of insurgent ammunition, 28 kg of explosives, medical supplies, communications equipment and weaponry.
Sadly, one soldier was severely injured while he was helping to clear an area for the soldiers to operate in. Major Ben Cattermole SCOTS DG, commanding Charlie (Fire Support) Company, said: "Tragically during the operation to secure the extraction route of Alpha Company, a young soldier was struck by an IED. He had been working tirelessly for 48 hours to protect Alpha Company's route, and was about to join Bravo Company to continue to take the fight to the enemy when the incident happened.
"His comrades' immediate actions to treat his wounds were exemplary and second to none. Our thoughts and prayers are now with him and his family as he continues to undergo surgery back in the UK. His sacrifice will not be forgotten."
The operation culminated in a Bravo Company break in of the village of Kolk. Lance Corporal Scott Mackie, from Crail, Fife, was at the forefront of the attack. He recalled: "The insertion was gruelling and we moved only 500 metres in the first two hours. We spent most of the time up to our waists in mud and water as we moved through the wadi systems avoiding the dozens of IEDs laid to our flanks, designed to halt us in our tracks."
The Commanding Officer of The Black Watch, 3 SCOTS, Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Cartwright, said that the impact of the operation would be felt throughout the area: "We have badly damaged their IED making capacity in this important area of Kandahar province and destroyed their defensive positions.
"Above all, the combination of the canny Jock on the ground and surveillance from the air has delivered a physical and psychological blow to the insurgent's credibility in what they consider to be their safe haven. The coalition forces in southern Afghanistan have combined extremely effectively to deliver a devastating strike."
