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Kabul, June 15 (Xinhua) The US-led coalition forces and the Afghan army have launched a massive anti-Taliban operation in the volatile southern provinces, a US military press release Thursday said.
'Operation Mountain Thrust is moving forward with large-scale operations in southern Afghanistan. This operation is a successive phase of an ongoing campaign to disrupt enemy forces,' it said.
Southern provinces of Kandahar, Zabul, Helmand and Uruzgan, the hotbed of Taliban fighters, became scenes of unexpected skirmishes over the past two months during which some 500 people lost their lives.
According to the press release, the new operation involving more than 10,000 Afghan and coalition forces will put heavy pressure on insurgent sanctuaries.
The operation has been launched in the wake of increasing attacks on Afghan and foreign troops.
Meanwhile, operation 'Mountain Lion' which was launched in mid May is still continuing with similar objective in the eastern region.
'There is no scheduled end to Mountain Thrust. The coalition will continue operations well into the summer and until objectives are met,' the press release added.
More than 800 people including 40 foreign soldiers with some 30 Americans were killed in Taliban-linked insurgency since the beginning of this year.
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