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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Taliban 'stepping up' resistance | Taliban 'stepping up' resistance |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| The Taliban have stepped up resistance against a major military offensive in Afghanistan, a UK commander has said. | |
| Maj Gen Gordon Messenger said activity had increased in the last few days, but the success of Operation Moshtarak was "in no way" threatened. | Maj Gen Gordon Messenger said activity had increased in the last few days, but the success of Operation Moshtarak was "in no way" threatened. |
| The mission involving the UK and its allies aims to clear and secure former Taliban bases at Marjah and Nad Ali. | The mission involving the UK and its allies aims to clear and secure former Taliban bases at Marjah and Nad Ali. |
| Two more British soldiers were killed on Thursday, taking the total UK losses in Operation Moshtarak to three. | Two more British soldiers were killed on Thursday, taking the total UK losses in Operation Moshtarak to three. |
| Maj Gen Messenger said Taliban command structures had been dislocated by the early stages of Operation Moshtarak and that had a continued impact on their enemy. | |
| 'Local tip-offs' | |
| He told a briefing at the Foreign Office in London that most resistance came from small groups of militants shooting from far away. | |
| He revealed a number of home-made bombs had been found at compounds in the area, following tip-offs from local people. | |
| We expected after the enemy had time to catch its breath, they would up the level of resistance, and that's happened Maj Gen Gordon Messenger Trojan mine clearance facts | |
| The military leader also claimed local people had welcomed the presence of the coalition troops because the Taliban and drug lords had oppressed them. | |
| He said: "The level of resistance has increased as expected. We expected after the enemy had time to catch its breath, they would up the level of resistance, and that's happened. | |
| "There are now more incidents directed against the Isaf (International Security Assistance Force) and Afghan forces than there were, but they are still unco-ordinated." | |
| On Thursday, two UK soldiers were killed taking part in Operation Moshtarak, taking the total number of military personnel killed in Afghanistan since 2001 to 263. | |
| The first, from 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards, died in an explosion in the Babaji area of Helmand province. | |
| The second, from 1st Battalion Scots Guards, was shot fighting rebels in the Nad Ali area. The families of both soldiers have been informed. | |
| Death toll | |
| Operation Moshtarak is the biggest military offensive in Afghanistan since the Taliban were overthrown in 2001 and involves 4,000 British troops. | |
| In total, more than 15,000 US, British and Afghan soldiers have embarked on a push to clear Taliban forces parts of the southern province of Helmand. | |
| The first British soldier involved in the offensive to be killed was Lance Sergeant Dave Greenhalgh, 25, from Ilkeston, Derbyshire. | |
| He was serving with 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, and died in an explosion while on vehicle patrol near Lashkar Gah, in Helmand, on Saturday. |