Q&A: Helmand's head of council for tribal elders‎

No doubt there were problems in Nad Ali and Marjah - these areas were a threat to the security of Lashkar Gah and the province as a whole. -- Armed men would kill people and then retreat to Marjah, using it as a safe haven. The only solution was to start this operation.

Aside from the presence of armed men, drug trafficking was also a problem. There were around 60 or 70 small heroin factories here, and terrorists from around the world flocked to the area. Q&A: Helmand's head of council for tribal elders‎ - Locals matter

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