(KUNA) -- As many as 20 Taliban fighters have been killed in a clash with Afghan and NATO forces in the southeastern parts of Afghanistan as the alliance announced a countrywide anti-insurgent operation on Tuesday. NATO commander Lt Gen David Richards told a news conference in Kabul that they were launching a new countrywide operation. He said the operation would be jointly conducted with the Afghan military to keep the militants under pressure.Although the general did not give details, the operation is aimed to strike a decisive blow at the Taliban during the coming winter season. The operation has been codenamed as "Operation Eagle." The NATO commander said the purpose of the operation was to encourage the much needed reconstruction and development across Afghanistan.
| “The military said upon damage assessment, they had discovered that from 15 to 20 Taliban had been killed in the clash...” |