[Quqnoos] A top US commander in Afghanistan says an operation has been launched to drive the Taliban out of Kandahar city The commander of foreign troops in Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal, says operations have begun to secure key roads and districts surrounding the city of Kandahar, a Taliban spiritual stronghold.
"That process has already begun, and it will ramp up in the weeks and months ahead and it will of course have a significant time period to it as well," the AFP quoted Gen McChrystal as saying.
Operation Kandahar was said as the next step of Operation Moshtarak in the neighbouring Helmand province, which targeted Taliban's strongholds in Marjah and Nad Ali districts.
Helmand's offensive, the first push of a 12-18 month military plan, was described as a successful push to drive the Taliban militants out of key areas in the two restive districts.
The US military commanders have predicted 2010 a bloody year for foreign troops based in Afghanistan.