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Afghanistan fight faces 'hard days ahead': Gates
U.S. Defence Secretary Robert Gates arrived in Afghanistan on Monday and praised the NATO-led counter-insurgency success in reclaiming the city of Marjah, but stopped short of saying the war is at a turning point.
"People still need to understand there is some very hard fighting, very hard days ahead," Gates told reporters, referring to an expected campaign in Kandahar province.
Gates is checking on the progress of the expansion of the war against Taliban-led insurgents since U.S. President Barack Obama committed 30,000 more American troops to the fight.
Those additional forces are now arriving, with most expected to be in place by summer.
Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the head of NATO's Afghanistan campaign, was not specific about when the Kandahar offensive would begin, saying only that it would wait until more U.S. and NATO troops are ready.
About 15,000 NATO and Afghan troops fought a three-week battle to reclaim the insurgent-held town of Marjah and the district of Nad Ali, with few casualties reported.
But the long-expected assault on Kandahar province, and in particular Kandahar City, is expected to be a more ambitious and difficult fight.
Kandahar is much larger, much more complex," McChrystal told reporters.
Canadian troops to have key role
Canada's 2,800 soldiers in Kandahar are expected to be on the front lines in the operation. The U.S. has also taken the rare move of putting four of its units under the Canadian Joint Command in Kandahar.
Gates is expected to meet with top military commanders as well as senior Afghan officials, including President Hamid Karzai.
The United States, Canada and NATO allies have been working with the Karzai government to stabilize Afghanistan since driving the Taliban from power in 2001.
Gates's visit comes as the Taliban has reportedly taken control of new sections of northeastern Afghanistan after winning an apparent turf war with a rival militant group.
Afghan officials said fierce fighting in Baghlan province between the Taliban and insurgent allies Hezb-e-Islami left at least 50 dead on both sides.
Also on Monday, the British military says a soldier has been killed in an explosion in southern Afghanistan.
The British Ministry of Defence said the soldier die while on foot patrol in the Sangin area of northern Helmand province on Sunday.
The fatality brings the number of British military personnel killed in Afghanistan since 2001 to 272.
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