The numbers of troops in contact events (regardless of the instigator) involving the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and insurgents in Helmand province recorded by Task Force Helmand for each complete month from May 2008 to April 2009 are shown in the following table.
Number of contacts1 May 2008 60 June 2008 80 July 2008 110 August 2008 200 September 2008 180 October 2008 170 November 2008 200 December 2008 220 January 2009 180 February 2009 180 March 2009 250 April 2009 150 1 Rounded to 10
ISAF forces operating in Helmand come from a number of different nations, which often operate closely alongside each other and alongside Afghan Army and Police units. The environment in which forces are operating makes it extremely difficult precisely to distinguish between incidents initiated by insurgent forces and those initiated by ISAF.
These data are based on information derived from a number of sources and can only be an estimate, not least because of the difficulties in ensuring a consistent interpretation of the basis for collating statistics in a complex fast-moving multinational operational environment. The Ministry of Defence has completed a review of the data required to answer questions such as this, and has revised the manner in which we classify and present data to ensure consistency.