Believe it.

Just looking at the map shows that the outpost was probably a compromise position. Traffic via drainages and mountain trails is actually more important to monitor/interdict than the roads. This could explain the presence of what sounds like maybe a reinforced platoon sized unit (+40 men) of mixed Afghan and international forces.

The story doesn’t say how long the position has been in use.

I’d say the local government uses the village to base patrols all along a generally western arc, probably even over the predominant crest to the west and beyond. There’s a lot of traversable ground there. Not easy, but doable.

“Command outpost” sounds like something a journalist coughed up. An outpost means a presence for specific purposes – IMO suveillance first, liaison with the locals second. Not intended for strikes (unless possibly the ISAF folks were newly arrived, and prompted the Taliban to try a spoiling attack…?) but rather to gather intell and/or identify targets for supporting arms.

The terrain here looks ugly for CAS and very favorable for light infantry… which means it could be ninety nine out of a hundred places in Afghanistan.