Taliban are Pushtuns, born to fight, says expert

A defence and security expert says Taliban fighters opposing Australian troops in Afghanistan come from a Pushtun culture which requires males to fight as a right of passage to manhood.

Clive Williams, a visiting fellow at the Australian National University's Strategic and Defence Studies Centre and former intelligence corps officer, described the Taliban as "very good" infantry soldiers.

An Australian army commando was killed and four others were wounded in savage fighting with Taliban insurgents overnight.

"They, of course, have a very long experience of fighting, particularly against foreigners. They are Pushtun tribesmen," Mr Williams told Fairfax Radio Network.

"That is their way of life. To be a man in their society, to be regarded as manly, you've got to have war experience.

"Their culture is built around fighting others. If they're not fighting foreigners they're fighting among themselves."

Mr Williams said Australian troops were mainly involved in reconstruction programmes in Oruzgan province but they required aggressive defence.

"All of our reconstruction workers are trained as infantry as well, but to allow them to get on with their work they need infantry protection," he said.

"If you're in an infantry unit then the role of infantry is also to dominate the ground.

"You can't afford to sit back in a base camp and let the insurgents dominate the area because then they'll simply attack you at times of their own choosing.

"If you dominate the ground it gives you a bit more initiative."

The Taliban had the advantage of local knowledge, Mr Williams said.

"Inevitably, because they are from the area, the people that we're fighting, they do have some advantages in terms of knowledge of the ground, particularly during night time periods or when visibility is obscured or reduced."

Australia must continue to expect casualties among its troops in Afghanistan, he warned.