NATO-Afghan offensive inflicts heavy losses on Taliban

AFGHANISTAN: A major air and ground offensive by NATO and Afghan forces has inflicted heavy losses on the Taliban in southern Afghanistan, NATO said on Sunday, a day after 14 British military personnel were killed when their plane crashed.

Hundreds of NATO and Afghan troops, backed by combat aircraft and helicopter gunships, were involved in the operation launched on Saturday in Panjwai district of Kandahar province.

"The Taliban have suffered heavy casualties in the operation," Major Scott Lundy, a NATO spokesman, adding that no combat casualties had been suffered on the Afghan and NATO side.

The operation was the biggest launched by the alliance since it took over command of the southern region on July 31 from U.S.-led coalition forces, Lundy said.

Panjwai has seen heavy fighting before, and several thousand people fled the region earlier this year to avoid being caught in the crossfire.

This time, Lundy said, NATO asked villagers to evacuate the area beforehand and there were no reports of civilian casualties.

KABUL, Sunday, Reuters