AFGHANISTAN: NATO and Afghan forces launch major operation in southern Afghanistan as investigations continue into plane crash that killed 14 British soldiers

NATO and Afghan forces killed dozens of Taliban fighters in a major air and ground offensive in southern Afghanistan, NATO said a day after 14 British military personnel were killed when their plane crashed on Saturday (September 2). Hundreds of NATO and Afghan troops, backed by combat aircraft and helicopter gunships, were involved in Operation Medusa launched on Saturday in Panjwai district of Kandahar province. A Royal Air Force Nimrod MR2 plane crashed while providing support for the operation. Officials say the crash was caused by a technical problem, though the Taliban claimed its fighters shot down the plane with a Stinger missile. "We are heading to the fighting area. We started our operation with NATO forces and we are receiving air support as well. So far we have killed dozens of Taliban fighters and our operation is still going on," said Rahmatullah, an Afghan National Army soldier said as he and his unit made their way to Panjwai district on Sunday (September 3). A NATO statement released from Kandahar Airfield said dozens of insurgents had been killed, many more wounded and some suspects arrested Afghan police. 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. NATO spokesman Major Scott Lundy said NATO had asked villagers to evacuate the area beforehand and there were no reports of civilian casualties. A purported Taliban member, Nasib Khan, phoned Reuters from the battle zone and denied that any Taliban fighters had been killed. The sound of artillery fire and explosions resounded as he spoke, the cries of children were heard in the background. The insurgency is going through its bloodiest period since U.S.-backed forces overthrew a Taliban government in late 2001 after it refused to hand over al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden following the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States. More than 2,000 people, most of them militants, along with scores of civilians and aid workers as well as hundreds of Afghan security personnel have been killed so far this year, while over 100 foreign troops, have died, including those killed in Saturday's plane crash.

ITN Source | September 4, 2006

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