Helmand Province is located in south west Afghanistan with a population of 1,011,600 and an area of 23,058 square miles. The population is largely Pashtun, and the Helmand River irrigates this desert region. Ghaznavid remains from Lashkhari Bazaar found by the Délégation Archéologique Française en Afghanistan (DAFA) in 1949 attest to the magnificence of the Islamic architecture. Lashkhari Bazaar was later destroyed during the fighting.