KABUL , FEB 13 - The U.S. military says two NATO troops have been killed during a major coalition offensive in southern Afghanistan.

A NATO statement said Saturday that one service member died in an IED strike, while another died from small-arms fire. It did not give their nationalities.

U.S. military spokesman Lt. Col. Todd Vician said the deaths occurred in Helmand province and were related to the ongoing offensive aimed at breaking the Taliban grip over a wide area of their southern heartland.

They are the first reported coalition casualties of the offensive, the biggest since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan.

It is the first major combat operation since President Barack Obama ordered 30,000 U.S. reinforcements here to try to turn the tide of the war. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

LONDON (AP) — A British general says the more than 1,000 U.K. troops participating in a NATO offensive in southern Afghanistan have secured their "key objectives."

British troops are among the thousands of NATO and Afghan soldiers who stormed the Taliban stronghold of Marjah by air and ground Saturday.

The major offensive is aimed at establishing Afghan government authority over the biggest southern town under militant control and breaking the Taliban grip over a wide area of their southern heartland.

Maj. Gen. Gordon Messenger told reporters in London that the British forces "have successfully secured the area militarily." He said Saturday that British troops have only had to deal with "sporadic attacks from a distance" and roadside bombs.

 

Posted on: 2010-02-14 01:04

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