Area Marines involved in fight

Area Marines were involved in the fight against Taliban forces Thursday in Afghanistan, according to a dispatch from Marine Corps.

Among the 4,000 Marines involved include those with the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade that is based out of Camp Lejeune. Marine Air Group 40, based out of Cherry Point, is part of the 2nd MEB.

One Marine was killed and several others were injured, but it is not clear in which units the Marines serve. Marines from California are also involved in the operation in the central Helmand province of Afghanistan.

Capt. Bill Pelletier, MEB public affairs officer, said the name of the Marine would be released through the Department of Defense after family has been notified. Standard practice is not to release the name until one day after the family has been notified, according to Maj. Cliff W. Gilmore at Campe Lejeune.

Forces from Marine Expeditionary Brigade-Afghanistan's Task Force Leatherneck and Afghan national security forces moved into towns and villages along the Helmand River valley in an effort to secure the local population from the threat of Taliban and other insurgent intimidation and violence, the report advises.

MEB forces are operating as far south as the vicinity of Khan Neshin, the capital of Rig district in the region of the Helmand River valley known as "The Fishhook."

The MEB has not received any confirmed reports of civilian casualties or damage to property. MEB-Afghanistan forces have not used artillery or other indirect fire weapons, and no bombs have been dropped from aircraft, according to reports.

MEB-Afghanistan is a subordinate unit of NATO's International Security Assistance Force. The combined U.S. and Afghan mission is to provide security for population centers along the Helmand River valley. It also aims to connect local citizens with their legitimate government while establishing stable and secure conditions for national elections scheduled for August and provide enhanced security for the future.

"What makes Operation Khanjar different from those that have occurred before is the massive size of the force introduced, the speed at which it will insert and the fact that where we go we will stay, and where we stay, we will hold, build and work toward transition of all security responsibilities to Afghan forces," Brig. Gen. Larry Nicholson, commanding general of MEB-Afghanistan, said in a statement.