Lashkargah in the context of "Tarnak River"

Helmand (Pashto and Dari: هلمند), known in ancient times as Hermand, Hirmand, and Hethumand, is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan, in the south of the country. It is the largest province by area, covering 58,584 square kilometres (20,000 sq mi) area. The province contains 18 districts, encompassing over 1,000 villages, and roughly 1,446,230 settled people. Lashkargah serves as the provincial capital. Helmand was part of the Greater Kandahar region until made into a separate province by the Afghan government in the 20th century. It is largely populated by Pashtuns.

The Helmand River flows through the mainly desert region of the province, providing water used for irrigation. The Kajaki Dam, which is one of Afghanistan's major reservoirs, is located in the Kajaki district. Helmand is believed to be one of the world's largest opium producing regions, responsible for around 42% of the world's total production. This is believed to be more than the whole of Myanmar, which is the second-largest producing nation after Afghanistan. The region also produces tobacco, sugar beets, cotton, sesame, wheat, mung beans, maize, nuts, sunflowers, onions, potato, tomato, cauliflower, peanut, apricot, grape, and melon. The province has a domestic airport (Bost Airport), in the city of Lashkargah that was heavily used by NATO-led forces. The former British Camp Bastion and the U.S. Camp Leatherneck is a short distance southwest of Lashkargah.

Zaranj, also known as Zarang, is a city in southwestern Afghanistan, serving as the capital of Nimruz Province. As of 2015, it has a population of 160,902. The city is linked by highways with Lashkargah and Kandahar to the east, Farah to the north, and the Iranian city of Zabol to the west. The current mayor of Zaranj is Maulvi Salahuddin Mumtaz. His predecessor was Maulvi Nooruddin Hamza.

The Pul-i-Abresham border crossing is located to the west of Zaranj, on the Afghanistan–Iran border. It is one of three important trade-routes that connect Central Asia, East Asia and South Asia with the Middle East. It is also used by the Afghans in Iran to enter Afghanistan. Zaranj Airport is located some 13 miles (21 km) to the east of the city.

The Battle of Lashkargah was fought between the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) and the Taliban for control of the city of Lashkargah. The United States supported Afghan forces with airstrikes. The fighting started in late July 2021, and clashes occurred around the governor's residence, NDS headquarters, police headquarters, and prison. The police headquarters was captured by the Taliban on 12 August 2021, and the last government forces evacuated or surrendered in the night from 12 to 13 August 2021. More than 40 civilians were also killed in the fortnight-long fighting.

National Highway 01 or NH01, formally called the Ring Road (Pashto: د افغانستان حلقوي سړک; Dari: شاهراه حلقوی افغانستان), is a 2,200 km (1,400 mi) two-lane and four-lane road network circulating inside Afghanistan, connecting the following cities (clockwise): Kabul, Maidan Shar, Ghazni, Qalat, Kandahar, Delaram, Herat, Qala e Naw, Maymana, Andkhoy, Sheberghan, Mazar-i-Sharif, Puli Khumri, Charikar, and back to Kabul. It has extensions that connect Jalalabad, Bamyan, Khost, Spin Boldak, Lashkargah, Zaranj (Route 606), Farah, Islam Qala, Torghundi, Ymamnazar, Hairatan, Kunduz, and Fayzabad. The Ring Road is part of AH1, the longest route of the Asian Highway Network. National Highway 01 consists of four major sections, NH0101 to NH0104, linking the major economic centers.

Bost Airport (Pashto: د بوست هوايي ډګر; IATA: BST, ICAO: OABT) is an airport serving Lashkargah, a city in Helmand Province in Afghanistan. It is located on the east bank of the Helmand River, 5 miles (8 km) north of its junction with the Arghandab River. It is also 75 miles (121 km) west of Kandahar.

Camp Shorabak (formerly Camp Bastion) is a former British Military airbase, located northwest of the city of Lashkargah in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. The camp was situated in a remote desert area, far from population centres.

The camp was built by the British Army in 2005–06, and on 27 October 2014 the British Military handed over control to the Afghan Ministry of Defense. Between 2005 and October 2014 it was the logistics hub for International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) operations in Helmand during the War in Afghanistan and Operation Herrick, and it was capable of accommodating over 32,000 people. It was the largest British overseas military camp built since the Second World War. The base was also home to troops from other states, including the United States and Denmark.

Sangin (Pashto: سنګین) is a town in Helmand province of Afghanistan, with a population of approximately 20,000 people. It is located on 32°4′24″N 64°50′2″E / 32.07333°N 64.83389°E / 32.07333; 64.83389 in the valley of the Helmand River at 888 m (2,913 ft) altitude, 95 km (59 mi) to the north-east of Lashkargah. Sangin is notorious as one of the central locations of the opium trade in the south of the country, and is also a town that has traditionally supported the Taliban. It was described by British newspaper The Guardian as "the deadliest area in Afghanistan" in 2010. Sangin also houses the main bazaar for Sangin District. Route 611 passes through Sangin.