The Afghan army is undertaking its biggest solo offensive against the Taliban

Afghanistan's army wants to fight the Taliban without the help of the U.S. or NATO. The Afghan army is in the midst of its biggest solo offensive against the Taliban in the southern province of Helmand.

Afghanistan wants to "strike a decisive blow ahead of the spring fighting season," The Associated Press reports. AP adds that the offensive is part of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's efforts to overhaul the country's police and army operations.

"This is an incredibly important operation," an unnamed Western diplomat told AP. "This is Ghani’s attempt to demonstrate to the U.S. and the U.S. Congress that Afghan ground forces are able to take the lead and conduct offensive operations if they have the right enablers to support them."

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Afghan troops are clearing areas where insurgents have been entrenched for years, sending helicopter raids into compounds. Maj. Gen. Kurt Fuller, deputy chief of staff for U.S. and NATO operations in Afghanistan, told AP that the Taliban casualties have exceeded those of Afghan troops by "a factor of 10 to one." Fuller also told AP that Afghan officials and local leaders are planning to build new schools, police stations, and clinics in Helmand.