Afghan forces yet to regain control of symbolic southern district

KABUL: Afghan forces are still battling for control of a symbolic district of southern Helmand province, the NATO forces commander told reporters, contradicting the defence ministry, after more than a week of intense fighting supported by U.S. air strikes.
Musa Qala, which straddles smuggling routes, fell late last month to the insurgents for the first time since 2007.”The city centre and other places really don´t belong to either force now,” U.S. Air Force General Philip Breedlove, NATO´s supreme allied commander in Europe, said. The statement contradicted earlier claims by the Afghan defence ministry that it had regained control of Musa Qala.