Helmands governor called on people to come home yesterday as officials hoisted an Afghan flag over a besieged town in Marjah for the second time in as many weeks. The area's main settlement was almost completely abandoned when General Moheedin Ghori raised the national colours in Loya Charahi, which means big square, last week. Since then pockets of diehard militants, snipers and roadside bombs have stalled the coalitions advance. Local elders said around 80 per cent of the densely populated farmland was under government control yesterday morning, as Afghan dignitaries went through a flag raising ritual for the second time. The commander of US Marines in southern Afghanistan, Brigadier General Larry Nicholson, said it was a very historical day at the ceremony to mark the official start of government rule. Tight security on the ground was an indication that the rural area has yet to come under complete control of the joint Nato-Afghan force. An Al Jazeera reporter in Marjah said that only hours before the flag-raising ceremony, improvised bombs planted by the Taliban were discovered in the main market. Marjah canal irrigated farmland home to around 80,000 people has been ruled by the Taliban for almost two years. Officials said at least 20,000 people have fled the area and many more are still too afraid to leave their homes. But eyewitnesses said there were more than 200 locals there to witness this mornings ceremony. "The governor told the people to come back to their houses, said Gulab Mangals official spokesman, Daoud Ahmadi. Now Marjah is safe for them. Mr Ahamdi said locals reiterated fears that the Marines would leave, letting the Taleban insurgents filter back in. The governor told them we are here for ever, he said. Abdul Ahad Helmandwal, a local tribal leader, said most of the fighting was confined to an area in the north of Marjah, on the border with Nad-e Ali, where British forces have also been involved in Operation Moshtarak, which means Togetherness. Theres still some fighting in Kareez Sadi, he said. The area's name refers to deep underground irrigation tunnels, which anti-Soviet fighters used to use to move around undetected. The Taleban are escaping from there to Nad-e Ali, Mr Helmandwal added. There are a group of Marines there but its hard for the Marines to find people and its easy for people to escape because theres no map - everyone just built their houses where they could. A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence said 17 civilians and more than 100 Taliban insurgents had been killed, and another 50 Taliban arrested. Human rights groups say the real figure is much higher. At least nine civilians were killed in a rocket attack soon after the start of the offensive 12 days ago. The Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission found that in the first 12 days of Operation Moshtarak 28 civilians, including 13 children, were killed and approximately 70 civilians, including 30 children, were injured. The human rights group said that 3,461 families had been displaced roughly 20,000 people. Mr Helmandwal said that at least 30 civilians had been killed since the start of the operation. Refugees in Lashkar Gah said the real figure was much higher. Mr Ahmadi said 40 families had returned and that life was beginning to return to normal in the bazaars. Some of the shops were open, he said. When General Ghori raised the flag last week it was soon shot at by insurgents holed up in nearby compounds. Whole parades of shops were abandoned. Some were shut up, others left wide open. Mud homes on the outskirts of the town were completely destroyed. More than 200 police have deployed to Marjah to reinforce thousands of US and Afghan forces involved in the clearance operations. Governor Mangal also introduced local people to Marjahs new civilian administrator, Haji Zahir Khan. Commanders hope he will oversee a reconstruction programme that can win over local support. Around 15,000 US, Afghan and Nato forces launched Moshtarak on February 13 in what has been billed the biggest military operation since the 2001 US-led invasion brought down the Taliban regime. Their mission was to capture the Marjah and Nad Ali areas of Helmand from the Taliban and drug lords in the first major test of President Obama's Afghan troop surge. On the other hand, a Taliban website (alemarah.info) claimed. "It is to be mentioned that some statements released by the enemy claiming that the U.S took control of southern Marjah and the National flag of the minion administration was raising there are no more than mere rumors, as a matter of fact, Mujahideen have the complete control of Marjah and its center Known as Laisa. Apparently, the U.S and NATO military spread such rumors to cover the losses and fatalities inflicted on them with every passing day during what they enemy call major operation in Marjah".