British troops withdraw from violent district in S. Afghanistan

British troops of ISAF have pulled out of the insurgent Musa Qala district in the southern Helmand province, an ISAF spokesman told Xinhua on Tuesday.

"After dialogue and discussion with local elders, we think they deserve an opportunity to resume their areas and keep security themselves," said Maj. Luke Knittig, a spokesman for the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).

The elders were confident they could bring peace to the district and defend it from the Taliban, so ISAF listened to them, said Knittig, adding the troops would be deployed to places where soldiers are more needed.

He declined to say how many troops were withdrawn from the district citing security reasons.

However, local media reports said about 120 British soldiers were pulled out of Musa Qala, where the troops had come under heavy attacks from Taliban militants.

Meanwhile, Helmand Governor Mohammad Daud said there was no deal between the troops, the government and the Taliban, according to media reports.

He also refused a reported statement by the Taliban that said the Afghan flag would not fly in the district any longer.

"The Afghan flag is there, our new district chief, our new police chief and the police are there," Daud said.

Analysts say one factor for the withdrawal apparently is the high casualties of the British troops in the district.

Nearly 30 British soldiers have been killed in Helmand, where about 4,000 UK troops are deployed, and the neighboring Kandahar province in the past two months, while about 10 of them lost their lives in Musa Qala.

Source: Xinhua