Kandahar, Afghanistan
Coalition forces have mounted the largest offensive in Afghanistan since the U.S. invasion in 2001. Operation Mountain Thrust sent some 10,000 U.S., Afghan, and allied troops pushing into four southern provinces, where Taliban attacks have become more frequent and more deadly. There is no scheduled end date to Mountain Thrust, the U.S. military said in a statement. The coalition will continue operations well into the summer and until objectives are met. The U.S.-led coalition is trying to stabilize the area so it can hand over security to NATO forces, but the Taliban have been gaining strength in recent months. Taliban influence is also growing across the border in Pakistan. In the Pakistani town of Swat, Islamic militants confiscated all TVs and VCRs and burned them in a bonfire.
