NATO and US forces invaded the town of Marjah last early last Saturday.
The invasion has been anticipated for many months and about 15,000 troops were involved with 7,500 troops fighting. Motivations behind this are unclear, NATO insists however the town was "key to the drug trade".
Civilians fled the town before the invasion despite NATO and the Taliban urging them to "stay put". Joe Biden (Vice President) said the 12 civilians' lives that were lost during the invasion from runaway missiles was a "tragic loss".