KABUL — The leaders of the largest tribe in a Taliban stronghold in southern Helmand province have pledged to halt insurgent attacks in one of the most violent spots in the country, the senior U.S. Marine general in Afghanistan said Monday.
Maj. Gen. Richard Mills said the deal was struck between local elders in the Sangin district and Helmand Gov. Gulabuddin Mangal with the consultation of coalition forces.
It is unlikely that the violence will cease immediately in Sangin as the die-hard Taliban leadership under the command of Mullah Mohammad Omar, based in Quetta, Pakistan, will keep fighting. But the cooperation of the tribal leaders in the effort to rid the area of insurgents could help shorten the war in one of the most violent places in Afghanistan.
Under the agreement, the tribal leaders vowed to expel foreign fighters, allow Afghan and U.S. forces to patrol the area, contain Taliban attacks and help identify deadly roadside bombs. In exchange, American and Afghan leaders are supposed to pump more money into the area. The Associated Press
