Ah, an agricultural district with a lousy centre.
The terrain offers an unlimited choice of routes of approach and it should be quite easy to seal off the area with a moderate troop strength because of the open terrain surrounding it.

The news reports sound as if the action was directed against a major settlement, some articles even speak of a 80,000 inhabitants city.

It seems that the reporting is quite messed up.

I still wonder how Afghanistan can feed, cook and heat for itself with this little agriculture and no forests or coal production to speak of.