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A TALIBAN sniper has shot dead up to seven British soldiers during a five-month killing spree in a town regarded as the most dangerous place in Afghanistan.
The 600 soldiers of the 3rd Battalion, the Rifles, stationed at Sangin, fear that the gunman is stalking his prey for days on end and may have been trained in neighbouring Iran or by Al-Qaeda operatives in Pakistan.
The Taliban hitman demonstrated his skill last month when he picked off a British sniper who was on the lookout for his insurgent rival. Three of his suspected victims have been army sharpshooters, including one killed by a single bullet between the eyes.
Their sniper is giving us real problems and weve not yet worked out how to take him down, said a senior British Army officer who recently visited the town in Helmand province.
Our snipers are some of the best-trained and capable soldiers we have. When you lose one it is telling you something.
One soldier likened the deadly stand-off to Enemy at the Gates, the Hollywood film in which Jude Law and Ed Harris play rival Soviet and German snipers stalking each other across Stalingrad during the second world war.
British snipers use a watchtower at Forward Operating Base Jackson that overlooks Sangin, and also have access to Javelin guided missiles, which can accurately blast any enemy positions they detect.
The Taliban sniper must watch our guys for days to wait for the best situation to open fire and still make his escape, said the soldier. So far he has not been taken down, even though the SAS have carried out several forays into the area.
Heavy casualties in Sangin have prompted Sir Jock Stirrup, chief of the defence staff, to demand a review of British tactics. Some 53 British troops have been killed in and around the Taliban stronghold during the past 12 months. Since last November, 3 Rifles have lost seven soldiers in the district to small arms fire, while 15 troops have been killed by roadside bombs.
The unit it replaced lost all but one of its fatalities to bombs during its tour of Sangin.
The senior officer added: There seem to be enough spy drones and troops for the size of area. The conclusion is the Taliban have outside help from either Iran or Al-Qaeda in Pakistan to train up their guys.
British troops in Sangin are suffering more than 12 times the average casualty rate for Nato forces in Afghanistan, making it the deadliest location in the country. Some are now comparing it with South Armagh in Northern Ireland at the height of the Troubles when the Provisional IRA used snipers to kill British troops with impunity. At one point the Provos even put up spoof Sniper at Work road signs.
Senior officers consider the situation in Sangin to be very bad because of the determination and skill shown by the Taliban fighters there. The Taliban snipers youngest victim is thought to be 19.
Since Captain James Philippson, 29, was shot on the outskirts of Sangin in June 2006 the first British soldier to die in combat as part of the Helmand mission a steady stream of the armys best regiments have failed to seize long-term control. Proposals to drive out the insurgents once and for all include moving in an extra 600 troops that are soon to be available after the handover of Musa Qala in northern Helmand to the Americans even though these soldiers have been earmarked as reinforcements for population protection in another area.
Major-General Gordon Messenger, UK spokesman for operations in Afghanistan, said: The casualty toll in Sangin is tragically high but our forces remain very much on the front foot and are determined to maintain the progress that they and their predecessors have achieved.
Taliban sniper hunted over seven UK deaths - Times Online
The 600 soldiers of the 3rd Battalion, the Rifles, stationed at Sangin, fear that the gunman is stalking his prey for days on end and may have been trained in neighbouring Iran or by Al-Qaeda operatives in Pakistan.
The Taliban hitman demonstrated his skill last month when he picked off a British sniper who was on the lookout for his insurgent rival. Three of his suspected victims have been army sharpshooters, including one killed by a single bullet between the eyes.
Their sniper is giving us real problems and weve not yet worked out how to take him down, said a senior British Army officer who recently visited the town in Helmand province.
Our snipers are some of the best-trained and capable soldiers we have. When you lose one it is telling you something.
One soldier likened the deadly stand-off to Enemy at the Gates, the Hollywood film in which Jude Law and Ed Harris play rival Soviet and German snipers stalking each other across Stalingrad during the second world war.
British snipers use a watchtower at Forward Operating Base Jackson that overlooks Sangin, and also have access to Javelin guided missiles, which can accurately blast any enemy positions they detect.
The Taliban sniper must watch our guys for days to wait for the best situation to open fire and still make his escape, said the soldier. So far he has not been taken down, even though the SAS have carried out several forays into the area.
Heavy casualties in Sangin have prompted Sir Jock Stirrup, chief of the defence staff, to demand a review of British tactics. Some 53 British troops have been killed in and around the Taliban stronghold during the past 12 months. Since last November, 3 Rifles have lost seven soldiers in the district to small arms fire, while 15 troops have been killed by roadside bombs.
The unit it replaced lost all but one of its fatalities to bombs during its tour of Sangin.
The senior officer added: There seem to be enough spy drones and troops for the size of area. The conclusion is the Taliban have outside help from either Iran or Al-Qaeda in Pakistan to train up their guys.
British troops in Sangin are suffering more than 12 times the average casualty rate for Nato forces in Afghanistan, making it the deadliest location in the country. Some are now comparing it with South Armagh in Northern Ireland at the height of the Troubles when the Provisional IRA used snipers to kill British troops with impunity. At one point the Provos even put up spoof Sniper at Work road signs.
Senior officers consider the situation in Sangin to be very bad because of the determination and skill shown by the Taliban fighters there. The Taliban snipers youngest victim is thought to be 19.
Since Captain James Philippson, 29, was shot on the outskirts of Sangin in June 2006 the first British soldier to die in combat as part of the Helmand mission a steady stream of the armys best regiments have failed to seize long-term control. Proposals to drive out the insurgents once and for all include moving in an extra 600 troops that are soon to be available after the handover of Musa Qala in northern Helmand to the Americans even though these soldiers have been earmarked as reinforcements for population protection in another area.
Major-General Gordon Messenger, UK spokesman for operations in Afghanistan, said: The casualty toll in Sangin is tragically high but our forces remain very much on the front foot and are determined to maintain the progress that they and their predecessors have achieved.
Taliban sniper hunted over seven UK deaths - Times Online
