Afghan worries over military push in Helmand province

A US marine escorts Afghan elders near Marjah, Helmand province

People in southern Afghanistan voice their concerns about the big military operation to regain Taliban strongholds in Helmand province. More than 15,000 US, NATO and Afghan forces are trying to clear insurgents from the Marjah and Nad Ali areas of Helmand. Many villagers have fled to the capital of the province, Lashkar Gah.

Interview by BBC Pashto Service via telephone.

The Taliban were not allowing us to leave, but then we found a way to get to where government people were based.

Thankfully the government people didn't hurt us and we managed to leave without any problems.

We don't have anything - we brought nothing with us.

Some friends have given us blankets.

It has also been very hard to find grain.

We have left absolutely everything behind.

We don't like fighting, we are tired of it.

Interview by BBC Pashto Service via telephone.

The Taliban have laid mines and no-one can go out. The Taliban are not allowing people to leave the area anyway.

My mother and some family are still there. Half of my family went to Nimruz province [west of Helmand], but my brothers and nephews are still there, in Marjah. We don't know what has happened to each other.

I just managed to get out with a few women and children, and one of my sons has now gone west to Nimruz.

Some of my former students are now in Lashkar Gar [the capital of Helmand province].

I have spoken to them by phone and they say a lot of people have run away from the villages to take refuge in Lashkar Gar.

A lot of people have been housed by other families, they are also living in tents provided by the government and by other NGOs.

People are living in bad conditions.

The villagers say Taliban let some people escape, but in other villages they didn't, saying, "Who are you leaving us for? You should be here for us."

So there are people stuck in the villages, caught in the crossfire.

It would be good if the operation could clear the Taliban, but it won't.

The insurgents will return when the troops return to their barracks.

We need a political settlement. The government is limited to the cities, and even there it has little control.

The media is always talking about the success of the operation in Helmand province and that afterwards the area will be clear of insurgents.

But insurgents are mobile, especially when a military operation against them is announced in advance like this was. So they'll move to a safer place and then return.

Nato has a bad impact on people in my country.

We are very concerned that people will be killed and injured.

I hear already about a thousand families have been displaced in Helmand province.

I have no idea if the operation will be a success.

As soon as the area is left under the control of the Afghan police and Afghan National Army alone, I don't think they will be able to prevent Taliban returning.

If they were, we wouldn't need this big joint military operation in the first place.

We are worried that as soon as the operation in Helmand finished, the military coalition will turn their attentions to areas of Kandahar which are still not safe.

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