Taleban resistance continues in Afghanistan

RESISTANCE from Taleban insurgents to the big military offensive being conducted by the UK and its allies in southern Afghanistan has stepped up over the past few days, a senior British officer said yesterday.

But Major General Gordon Messenger said the increase in activity "in no way" threatened the success of the mission to clear and secure former Taleban strongholds around Marjah and Nad-e-Ali.

The "dislocation" of Taleban command structures achieved in the initial stages of Operation Moshtarak was continuing to have an impact on insurgent capabilities, he said. The resistance is largely in the form of small groups of militants shooting from a distance.

Meanwhile, significant finds of home-made bombs have been made at compounds in the area, after tip-offs from the local population to Afghan troops.