Thousands of U.S. and NATO troops launched an offensive on Feb. 12 to take Marjah, a Taliban-controlled town in Afghanistan's Helmand province. The offensive, dubbed Operation Moshtarak (Together) has been widely expected, and Taliban fighters are believed to have laced the area around the town with improvised explosive devices. Small teams of troops began dropping in from helicopters early Saturday morning local time. Guerrilla assaults against advancing troops are considered likely. Afghan police and government officials are expected to follow the attacking troops — a new twist on military strategy in the region — and take control of the town once the offensive has ended.
