The village of Musa Qala was the scene of fierce fighting between British Pathfinder Platoon troops and Taliban insurgents during the summer of 2006.

The British had set up a stronghold in the local governor's office and faced daily waves of determined attacks.

The British garrison was later relieved by a Danish infantry team who faced renewed insurgent attacks, culminating in better-trained militant fighters equipped with rockets and mortars.

In January 1979, Musa Qala fell to Nasim Akhundzada after a battle against a pro-government militia led by Ghulam Dastgar Mahali, and the district governor, Zabit Aulleah, fled.

Eurasianet reported that the new NATO commander, U.S. General Dan McNeill, opposes the kind of local agreements that Richards favored, and speculated that the aerial bombardment that was reported to have killed Mullah Abdul Ghafour in February 2007 was a sign of McNeill's more aggressive, less conciliatory approach.