Read FRANCE 24's report "Afghanistan's esoteric war"

Lost in the desolate hills northeast of the Afghan capital of Kabul, is the Nijrab FOB, the military jargon for a Forward Operating Base. It’s in the heart of the Kapisa province, a Taliban stronghold, and it’s here that FRANCE 24 reporter Matthieu Mabin meets Lieutenant Bruno.

A 27-year-old French soldier, Lieutenant Bruno is in charge of 30 parachutists from France’s 8th Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment, the regiment that suffered the majority of losses in the August 18 attack in which 10 French soldiers were killed.

It was the largest French military loss in Afghanistan since coalition operations began in 2001. For France, it was the biggest military loss since 1983.

French soldiers at Nijrab are fighting alongside US and Afghan troops to try to oust the Taliban from the region.

The Taliban insurgents today are waging an increasingly sophisticated war and it’s an uphill task for Lieutenant Bruno and his men, but they are prepared.

“We had to prepare our men for the possibility of injuries within our ranks, for deaths,” says Lieutenant Bruno. “It’s really necessary to prepare the men so that they understand their mission and are ready to put their training in action.”

Fighting the Taliban

When the fighting starts, it’s hair-raising – as Mabin himself witnesses.

The troops are heading to the Tagab Valley in a reinforced army vehicle. There is an eerie calm, the calm before the storm. The paratroopers know this area is essentially in Taliban hands.

It’s their third engagement in the valley. For Bruno, every engagement comes with stress, the fear of losing his men.

The enemy is not yet in sight. But under the 40 degrees Celsius heat and with the heavy equipment they carry, it’s tough going.

And then, from the top of a pass, the enemy appears. The shooting starts. Two US F-15 fighters arrive to provide reinforcements. Bruno asks his men to retreat.

“Seeing as the vegetation is very thick I could not take position up ahead,” explains Lieutenant Bruno. “I preferred to make a temporary retreat with my troops. At the moment, there is a platoon combing through terrain from the north to the south to prevent any of the Taliban from leaving.”

Today, Bruno and his men are safe. No deaths, no casualties. Just a lot of perspiration.

Winning hearts and minds

But the fight against the Taliban does not stop. And according to Lieutenant Bruno, the war cannot be won without the help of the local population.

“The best way to work and win the war, if I may say so, is really to conquer their hearts, to have the local populace in your pocket.”

He explained that “the population is on the one hand, an important source of information for us,” but also that, “the population is caught between two forces - the coalition forces and the Taliban.”

The soldiers have every interest in keeping the local population on their side so that they don’t harbour Taliban, either by feeding them, housing them or informing them.

The Taliban’s profile has been radically changing in recent months. They are better armed - they have automatic rifles, as well as mortars and crack marksmen, the sort of hardware and expertise they lacked in the past. What’s more, their ranks these days are not restricted to Afghans. Taliban forces today include an increasing number of Pakistanis and battle-hardened Chechens.

Watch the report by Anne-Isabelle and Matthieu Mabin by clicking on the video above.

Editor's note: none of the soldiers who appear in the piece were killed or injured in the Aug. 18 attack.