Inside the Afghan surge

Post Staff Report

featured

Dec 18, 2013

1 of 8

AFGHANISTAN-OFFENSIVE_CARTER210941–500×380.jpg

The US and Afghan soldiers searched every house in Marjah for weapons, but only after bomb-sniffing dogs were sent in to check for explosive booby traps. Soldiers often kicked open the doors once a house was cleared, said Tomasevic. “In this picture an Afghan soldier is doing it. The Marines always let them try first, and if the Afghan soldier had to give it too many kicks, a Marine steps up to do it.” The soldiers also carried lock cutters and replacement locks with them, Tomasevic said. “Everything they break, they replace if they can. If they smashed a door or cut off a lock, they gave the family a new one or paid them money to compensate for it.” GORAN TOMASEVIC/REUTERS

2 of 8

AFGHANISTAN-OFFENSIVE__003210948–500×380.jpg

A fierce firefight between Taliban and US troops broke out on Feb. 21, as Bravo Company pushed through Marjah. Tomasevic, wanting to get pictures of the soldiers as they charged through this canal, moved out in front with one of the lead soldiers. Tomasevic was at the soldier’s side as they neared the first mud compound — and was sent reeling backward by a hail of bullets smacking into the building just centimeters from his face. “This soldier is lucky to be alive. He peeked his head around first and it’s a miracle he didn’t die, because a bullet came in so close the dust from the impact covered his lips.” GORAN TOMASEVIC/REUTERS

3 of 8

AFGHANISTAN-OFFENSIVE__001210943–500×380.jpg

Soldiers dropped into the freezing Afghan mountains were loaded with food and water, but had no room for sleeping bags to stave off the zero-degree temps at night. “I carried my own sleeping bag because I can, but in the first few nights the soldiers didn’t have them. It was so cold we would wake up in the morning and the first few centimeters of water in our bottles was always frozen.” After the Marines had secured an area to bivouac, a helicopter flew by to drop much-needed blankets and sleeping bags, including this comical red one. GORAN TOMASEVIC/REUTERS

4 of 8

Bravo Company’s first target in the Marjah mountains was a local market known to be a Taliban trafficking point. As they approached the town, a man emerged from a small hut. He held his young son and told the soldiers he wanted to greet them. “When I saw him I was like, ‘Cool, this is good,’ ” Tomasevic said. GORAN TOMASEVIC/REUTERS

5 of 8

AFGHANISTAN-OFFENSIVE__004210951–500×380.jpg

“The locals usually know when Taliban are around, so if they come out, generally that’s a sign the Taliban are gone.” Seconds later the area exploded with gunfire as snipers unloaded on the Marines — sending three Marines diving on top of the innocent Afghan man and his son to give them cover from the flying bullets. GORAN TOMASEVIC/REUTERS

6 of 8

AFGHANISTAN-OFFENSIVE__002210946–500×380.jpg

The sniper attack killed one Marine and wounded another. “It was a mess until the soldiers were able to establish a defensive position and regain control, but even then, it was a heavy burden for them to know a Marine died.” GORAN TOMASEVIC/REUTERS

7 of 8

Soldiers were on their fourth day of the Marjah offensive when they had to call in an airstrike to take out a nest of Taliban snipers in one compound, Tomasevic said. The Taliban fighter killed here was found next to an old World War II rifle, a Mauser that fired 7.9mm rounds. “But believe me, that’s not usual — they have much better weapons to shoot with most of the time.” GORAN TOMASEVIC/REUTERS

8 of 8

AFGHANISTAN-OFFENSIVE_210939–500×380.jpg

Five days after the US-led offensive began, villagers slowly started to trek home from the hills where many had fled to avoid the gunfights. “You don’t know really who is Taliban and who is not,” Tomasevic said. “Someone can be holding a weapon one minute and drop it the next and say they are a civilian.” Complicating matters is the fact that most of the villagers make a living growing poppy — which helps fund the Taliban. “At least 90% of them are poppy growers, it’s how they make a living, all those fields are poppy fields. It only takes six weeks in season to grow and harvest poppy, and when that’s done they plant marijuana.” GORAN TOMASEVIC/REUTERS

Comments

Powered by RoundtableBuilt on infrastructure designed for real-time media. Learn more at RTB.io.© Roundtable 2026. By using this site you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy