When US and Afghan forces launched a major offensive against the Taliban in the southern town of Marjah earlier this year, military commanders relied on an elite national force known as the Afghan civil order police.

The force is considered the most effective policing unit in the country and it is in constant demand.

But with security a major concern across Afghanistan, the force is beginning to feel the strain.

As Al Jazeera's James Bays reports from Marjah, maintaining the numbers necessary to staff the force is becoming a significant problem. [12 April 10]