NATO says Taliban cleared from Afghan dam

By Muklis Ali

KABUL (Reuters) - British NATO troops in Afghanistan have cleared Taliban insurgents from the vicinity of a hydro-electric dam in the south of the country, the alliance said on Tuesday.

Backed by air support, the British Royal Marine commandos along with Afghan government soldiers, secured the Kajaki dam in Helmand province in an operation that began on Sunday, the alliance said in a statement.

"More than 300 ISAF troops, supported by the Afghan National Army, cleared a large area near Kajaki, northern Helmand, containing around 60 compounds, which has been the site of regular enemy mortar attacks over the past two months," the alliance said.

"The clearance was part of an ongoing operation to create a safe-zone ... to allow engineers to re-enter the area and bring the dam up to full power," said the force, known as the International Security Assistance Force.

There were no casualties among NATO or Afghan troops or civilians, NATO said. It gave no information about Taliban casualties in the fighting.

The dam, which has seen major fighting in recent weeks between the Taliban and NATO forces, was first built on the Helmand river in the 1950s.

Its hydroelectric plants, with a generating capacity of 33 megawatts, were installed by the United States in 1975. Once fully operational, the dam will bring electricity to 1.8 million people, NATO said.

Helmand Governor Asadullah Wafa said on Monday at least 700 Taliban fighters have crossed from Pakistan into Afghanistan to reinforce guerrillas attacking the dam.

NATO, U.S. and Taliban commanders have warned of an increase in fighting in the spring when the snows melts, after the bloodiest year since the hardline Islamists were ousted by a U.S.-led coalition in 2001.