Operation Panthers Claw is one of the largest offensives of the Afghanistan War. In the summer of 2009, thousands of troops of an Anglo-Danish battlegroup launch a major assault in Helmand Province to drive the Taliban from key territory ahead of Afghan elections. The operation tests the limits of modern counterinsurgencycombining infantry assaults, helicopter insertions, and fierce close-quarters combat in scorching heat. Despite early gains, British forces face determined resistance, hidden IEDs, and the challenges of holding newly captured ground.