Khanashin, or Khan Neshin, (other names: Khān Neshīn, Khannesin, Khan Nashin, Khān Nashīn, Khan Nashim, Khānnešīn) is a village located in the Reg District of

Helmand Province Helmand (Pashto/Dari: ; ), also known as Hillmand, in ancient times, as Hermand and Hethumand, is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, in the south of the country. It is the largest province by area, covering area. The province contains 13 ...

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is borde ...

at at 642 altitude. It is close to the

Helmand River The Helmand River (also spelled Helmend, or Helmund, Hirmand; Pashto/ Persian: ; Greek: ' (''Etýmandros''); Latin: ') is the longest river in Afghanistan and the primary watershed for the endorheic Sistan Basin. It emerges in the Sanglak ...

and 168 km southwest of

Lashkargah Lashkargāh ( ps, لښکرګاه; fa, لشکرگاه), historically called Bost or Boost (), is a city in southwestern Afghanistan and the capital of Helmand Province. It is located in Lashkargah District, where the Arghandab River merges int ...

. It has been identified by the USGS as the site of a deposit, called the Khanneshin carbonatite, of at least 1 million tons of rare earth element ore.

Operation Enduring Freedom

Taliban presence

Khan Neshin became a

Taliban The Taliban (; ps, طالبان, ṭālibān, lit=students or 'seekers'), which also refers to itself by its state (polity), state name, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a Deobandi Islamic fundamentalism, Islamic fundamentalist, m ...

insurgent stronghold in the years following the 2001 invasion.

Operation Khanjar

In July 2009, U.S. Marines from

2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion is a fast and mobilized armored terrestrial reconnaissance battalion of the United States Marine Corps. Their primary weapon system is the 8-wheeled LAV-25 and they fall under the command of the 2nd ...

and a Platoon attachment from 2nd Reconnaissance BN established the first sustained presence of coalition forces in the southern Helmand River valley by entering the village of Khan Neshin after gaining the village elders' permission.

References

Populated places in Helmand Province {{Helmand-geo-stub

Operation Enduring Freedom

Taliban presence

Operation Khanjar

See also

References