A massive offensive is underway in Afghanistan, aimed at breaking the Taliban grip over the southern region.

NATO Spokesman Mark Sedwill said that "so far the news from the ground appears to be positive" but added that "one should never predict an outcome too early in an operation."

NATO forces are working alongside Afghan soldiers to try and establish Afghan government authority over Marjah, the biggest southern town under militant control.

So far, they've met only scattered resistance.

However, a daunting thicket of bombs and booby traps has slowed the allied advance through the town.

 Mark Sedwill, NATO spokesman says;
"I can't yet say how long it will take for this military phase to get to the point when we can bring in the civilian support from the Afghan government - we hope that will happen quickly - and that civilian support, the district development teams, is ready to go and is ready to come in on to the ground with the district governor under the leadership of the provincial government, meshing together the provincial and the national services on the ground as soon as the security situation there permits it and we hope that will be very shortly, but it would be wrong for me to predict an exact timeline at this stage."

Thousands of British, U-S and Canadian troops also swept into Taliban areas to the north of Marjah, seeking to clear a wide swath of villages that had been under Taliban control for several years.

Two NATO troops have been killed in the coalition offensive.

One service member died in an I-E-D strike, while another died from small-arms fire.

They are the first reported coalition casualties from the offensive.

Ebru News