NATO troops launch new offensives in Afghanistan

n southern Afghanistan on Monday, 3,000 troops launched operations in the Sangin Valley, near the town of Gereshk. Those involved included 1,000 British soldiers and 1,000 troops from the Afghan National Army, along other forces from the US, the Netherlands, Denmark, Estonia and Canada.

The NATO forces are seeking to crush growing opposition to the foreign occupation, particularly pronounced in the south, among organizations said to be allied with the former Taliban regime. Gereshk, located in Helmand province, is a strategically important city, which lies along the road from Kandahar in the south to Herat in the west.

British Lieut. Col. Carver said that the offensive “is part of longer-term plan to restore the whole of Helmand to government control. You have to do it one piece at a time,” he said. The broader offensive in the south, dubbed “Operation Achilles,” began in March.

There are no reports yet on the number of people killed in the Monday’s operations. However, a US statement has said that at least 150 “Taliban and foreign fighters” have been killed in the Sangin district of Helmand province during the past three weeks.

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http://wsws.org/articles/2007/may2007/afgh-m01.shtml