[xtypo_dropcap]A[/xtypo_dropcap]fghan and NATO troops recently began a semi-covert offensive against the Taliban, according to Reuters.
The Afghan Defense Ministry and the NATO-led international security assistance force (ISAF) announced operation that “Dragon Strike,” began on Saturday with a series of air strikes and ground operations around Kandahar. In Afghanistan, civilian and military casualties have surged to their highest point since 2001.
An ISAF spokesman said 18 American troops have been killed in combat in Kandahar Province since Aug. 30. He had no figures for casualties since the latest operation began on Saturday. Winning control of Kandahar, the province that produced the Taliban, is vital to President Barack Obama’s war strategy. Obama is due to review the operation later this year, Reuters reported.
