Afghan, NATO Officials Review Security in Helmand

Commander of the Resolute Support Mission Gen. John Nicolson, Afghan Army Chief Sharif Yaftali, and Deputy Interior Minister Janan Barakzai went to Helmand province to review security situation in the province. A press release from Helmand governor’s office quoting Hayatullah Hayat, provincial governor, stated that drug trafficking, presence of Taliban insurgents, and some other factors were the main causes of insecurity and continuation of war in the province. Meanwhile Nicolson said that the new US military strategy gave NATO far broader authority to use airstrikes to target Taliban militants in the province.