**Nato-led forces say they are making good progress hours after launching the biggest offensive in Afghanistan since the overthrow of the Taliban in 2001.**There were clashes as more than 15,000 US, UK and Afghan troops swept into the Helmand areas of Marjah and Nad Ali in a bid to secure government control.
The Afghan Army said 70% of Marjah had been cleared, while a UK commander said 11 Taliban bases had been captured.
A Taliban commander reportedly said his men were retreating to spare civilians.
Operation Moshtarak - which means “together” in the local Dari language - is being led by the US Marine Corps, supported by 4,000 British troops, with Canadians, Danes and Estonians.
AT THE SCENE
Ian Pannell
BBC News, Nad AliThere are the best part of 100 British troops here together with the Afghan National Army. They’ve moved much faster than they expected. We arrived here under the cover of darkness with a whole series of helicopters ferrying troops out to different parts of the district. We landed at about 0400 and waited in a field until first light then started to move through the village where we are now.
There has been not much sign of insurgents or, indeed, the local population - they seem to have fled in advance.
We have heard a few booms in the distance - we believe those are controlled explosions of IEDs. So far, and it’s early days, UK forces seem pleased with how things have gone.Operation Moshtarak: Diary
The BBC’s Frank Gardner, with Nato forces at Kandahar airbase, says the test of the operation’s success will not be on the battlefield.
It all depends on whether the coalition can hold the ground and bring lasting security and good governance to the population of central Helmand.
Five members of the Taliban were killed and two arrested in the opening stages of the assault, Afghan officials said.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai warned troops to avoid civilian casualties, according to AFP news agency.
Nato says Marjah is home to the biggest community under insurgent control in the south, with between 400 and 1,000 militants based there before Operation Moshtarak was launched.
More than 4,000 US marines, 1,500 Afghan soldiers and 300 US soldiers moved in by helicopter under cover of night.
The US marines led the attack on Marjah while to the north, British, Canadian and other American forces moved on Nad Ali.
MARJAH: ‘TALIBAN STRONGHOLD’
- Town and district about 40km (25 miles) south-west of Lashkar Gah
- Lies in Helmand’s ‘Green Zone’ - an irrigated area of lush vegetation and farmland
- Last remaining major Taliban stronghold in southern Helmand
- Area considered a centre for assembling roadside bombs
- Key supply centre for opium poppies - lucrative revenue source for Taliban
- Estimates of Taliban numbers range up to 1,000
- Population of Marjah town put at 80,000 while the whole of Marjah district is thought to have 125,000
UK forces ‘soften up’ Taliban targets
Conflict reaches critical juncture
Details on Operation Moshtarak
Nato Commander Maj Gen Nick Carter told the BBC that 11 objectives had already been taken and the offensive had been “so far extremely successful”.
“Indeed it would appear that we’ve caught the insurgents on the hop - he appears to be completely dislocated,” he said.
It is thought the Taliban have prepared defences, and planted many improvised explosive devices (IEDs) on the routes they expect troops to take.
Mullah Mohammed - a Taliban Commander in Marjah - told ABC News that his men were pulling back to spare any civilian casualties.
“We found civilians in massive danger so we decided to go backward just to save villagers lives,” he said. His claim cannot be substantiated.
Nato had distributed leaflets in the Marjah area warning of the planned offensive in a bid to limit civilian casualties.
Earlier this week British forces began a “softening up” process, taking part in a Nato ground and air offensive on insurgent positions.
Operation Moshtarak: Assault in Helmand province
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