Soldiers from the 3rd Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment, Task Force Spartan — extended in Afghanistan — continue to push north in their battle space in eastern Afghanistan, the military said Tuesday.

The troops have established a new combat outpost in Nuristan province along an important road near a town called Kamdesh, officials said.

The new firebase was established in mid-February and is intended as a means of “impeding enemy activity along the Kamdesh road. The site marks perhaps the most primitive camp recently established in the northern sector of Regional Command-East,” a military news release read.

“Our objective is to provide a highly visible presence,” 1st Lt. Chris York, of Troop A, 3-71 Cav, was quoted as saying. “Our presence in Kamu is an added effect to the major operations the [Afghan National Army] are executing along the Kamdesh road. We are essentially there to support the ANA, to provide stronger firepower for them if needed.”

In recent months, the area has been rife with insurgent attacks.

“In the past, every time we rolled out of the gate we were pretty sure we were going to get shot at,” Sgt. 1st Class Jason Burch, also of Troop A, said. “We were also losing a lot of supplies along the route due to the enemy ransacking our Jinga trucks.”

In the weeks after the outpost was established, U.S. military officials said, attacks have gone down markedly.

A decision will be made in the coming months whether to keep the firebase in place or move on, officials said.

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