More than 11,000 troops in Taliban assault

An 11,000-strong assault is to be launched on militants in the southern mountains of Afghanistan, the biggest offensive since the fall of the Taliban in 2001.

The push starting tomorrow by US, British, Canadian and Afghan troops aims to squeeze Taliban fighters in four volatile provinces. It will focus on southern Uruzgan and north eastern Helmand, where the military says most of the forces are massed.