U.S. and Afghanistan Begin Critical Assault Near Kandahar - NYTimes.com: "Hundreds of Afghan and American troops on Saturday made an air assault into the horn of Panjwai, a wide area that has served as the main base for the Taliban threatening Kandahar city, Maj. Gen. Nick Carter, the commander of coalition forces in southern Afghanistan, said.
The assault, involving about 800 Afghan soldiers, is the most critical part of the Kandahar operation, a movement progressing since August to push the Taliban out of the city and surrounding districts, and to cut infiltration routes.
“So far, it is a work in progress,” General Carter said. “There is not a huge amount of population there and there have been a few minor engagements, a few caches have been found. And I don’t think we will know how successful it has been for probably another 24 to 48 hours.”
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