Bahram Chah, Helmand Province, Afghanistan

With a population of 745,000, Helmand is a southern province in Afghanistan that borders Kandahar, Farah, Orozgan and Zabul. It is a dangerous region, so perilous to US military units and Afghan security forces, the United Nations once suspended road missions to Helmand because of a flurry of vicious attacks on humanitarian workers. Last year, US military officials referred to the area as the very "home" of Afghanistan's Taliban.

The Taliban enjoys wide support in Helmand, for the extended families of several Taliban leaders reside here. The families of former Taliban leader Mullah Omar, and the movement's former supreme military commander, Mullah Berader, still reside in Helmand Province, leading US troops to conduct frequent house-to-house searches in the province for Taliban leaders, fighters and supporters.

Helmand encompasses 22,619 square miles of fertile ground. It is a concentrated region of rich soil, and it's a major opium poppy growing region in Afghanistan. The lush acres of farmland are outlined by high mountains and dusty roads. Inside the province lies Bahram Chah, a tiny community nestled in the Chagai Hills.

Bahram Chah's terrain is carved with sprawling channels that make for ideal ambush spots by Taliban fighters. Along one of many desolate dirt roads in Bahram Chah, bordered by a mountain on one side, the Taliban choose to launch their devastating attack against the Afghan Police convoy on October 10, 2005.