U.S, Afghan Troops "Destroying" Taliban Safe Havens

Afghan and coalition forces have pushed deep into Taliban controlled areas in the suburbs of Kandahar in an attempt to drive militants out of the city they consider their headquarters. According to military officials, the latest phase of the offensive focuses on districts in the south and west of Kandahar where Taliban insurgents have established strongholds.

Brig. Gen. Josef Blotz, who is a spokesperson for North Atlantic Treaty Organization force, told journalists that coalition forces look forward to "hard fighting". According to him, coalition troops are "destroying Taliban fighting positions so they will not have anywhere left to hide."

In recent months, the city of Kandahar has been the main focus of NATO's attempts to bring stability to the country's volatile south.  The majority of troops sent to Afghanistan as part of President Obama's troop surge strategy have been stationed in Kandahar and Helmand. Blotz told that the insurgents will either be forced to flee the area or to confront the coalition troops and get killed. "Either way, they will be separated from the Afghans they've intimidated for so long", he said.

Meanwhile, two Western troops died on Sunday when their vehicle was hit by a road side bomb. Military officials didn't confirm whether they were part of the Kandahar offensive. With over three months left, the current year has already been the deadliest for both NATO and US forces in the nine-year Afghan conflict.