Turf Wars Real Time

The former commander of United States forces in Afghanistan, Gen. Stanley McCrystal, once described the fight in Marjah as a bleeding ulcer. Situated to the East of the Helmand River valley, this fertile network of farm lands has long been a key stronghold of the Taliban. But that control is now being challenged. US Marines from Echo Company, 2nd Battalion 9th Marines, have been in Marjah since June and are waging and winning a fight that is not unfamiliar to them; a fight the soldiers of 1st Platoon describe as a “good old fashioned turf war“. This video clip filmed on the morning of the 28th September 2010 is a real time, multi-camera view of one such fire-fight where elements of 1st Platoon are ambushed by Taliban fighters in the eastern sector of their area of operations.