BLOODY ATTACK PREPARED FOR TALIBAN

THOUSANDS of British troops were last night poised to launch their bloodiest attack on the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Operation Moshtarak will see 15,000 British, US and Afghan forces seizing back the heavily-guarded Marjar opium region from insurgents.

Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth, 57, warned the nation to “hold our resolve” amid fears of mass casualties.

Two soldiers from the Royal Scots Borderers were killed on Sunday, taking the UK death toll in Afghanistan to 255, the same as in the 1982 Falklands War.

The men died in a blast near Sangin in Helmand province while on foot patrol.

But commanders are praying Operation Moshtarak’s huge military attack will defeat the Taliban once and for all.

It is expected to dwarf last summer’s Operation Panther’s Claw, which left 10 Brits dead.

The offensive will be led by the US Marines backed by 4,000 British troops from the Grenadier Guards, the Royal Welsh and the Scots Guards.

Marjar’s poppy fields are fought over by warlords and the town is the Taliban’s last stronghold, with about 1,000 fighters dug in.

Thousands of locals around Marjar have already fled after leaflets were dropped by air warning of the attack.There are fears the Taliban will have flooded the area with their improvised roadside bombs.

Mr Ainsworth said rebels had been warned to expect “overwhelming force”.

He said: “We have seen an intense, hard and bloody period in Afghanistan but as we prepare to consolidate our progress with the launch of Operation Moshtarak, it is imperative that we hold our resolve.

“The national security of the UK and the safety of its citizens depends on that.

“Our presence in Afghanistan is vital in preventing it from once again becoming a haven for terrorists who would seek to threaten the UK.”

Colonel Richard Kemp, ex-commander of Brit forces in Helmand, said: “The Taliban know the area well and will have prepared escape routes through tunnels, alleyways or buildings. They will fire on our troops and then run.”

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