|
Helmand Province - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (588 words) |
 | Helmand (Persian: هلمند) is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan. |
 | In response, British troop levels in the province were increased, and new encampments were established in Sangin and Gerishk. |
 | News reports identified the insurgents involved in the fighting as a mix of Taliban fighters and warring tribal groups, primarily the Ishakzai and Alikozai, who are heavily involved in the province's lucrative opium trade [3]. |
| Herat Province - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (691 words) |
 | The province was one of the first major battlegrounds in the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, and remained an active area of guerrilla warfare throughout, with local military commander and mujahideen Ismail Khan leading resistance to Soviet rule from 1979 until the Soviet withdrawal in 1988 (see the article on the city of Herat for details). |
 | When the Soviets withdrew, Khan became the governor of the province, in which position he remained until the Taliban took control of the province in 1995. |
 | The province is currently (as of November 2003) ruled more or less autocratically by Khan, despite some attempts by the interim central government (headed by Hamid Karzai) to weaken the power of local strongmen. |