Marines in Marjah . `` Marjah is the last enemy sanctuary in the Marine area of operations , '' said Brig. Gen. Larry Nicholson , 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade-Afghanistan commanding general . `` This operation is designed to reconnect the people of Marjah with the legitimate government of Afghanistan . We are fully partnered with the Afghan government for this operation , and we have the resources we need to be successful . '' The Afghan government described the offensive -- carried out in central Helmand with the Afghan National Army , Afghan National Police , ISAF Regional Command -LRB- South -RRB- , and the Helmand Provincial Reconstruction Team -- as `` clearing '' operations . The coalition said its troops expected to confront up to 1,000 entrenched Taliban fighters . It said they also expected foreign Taliban fighters to battle to the death but were prepared for local Taliban members in Marjah to try to escape . `` We will follow the enemies and bring them to justice , '' said Gen. Mohiyiden Ghori of the Afghan National Army . In the past few days , forces from Afghanistan , Britain and other nations conducted air and ground operations
Kabul , Afghanistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- NATO troops in Afghanistan launched their biggest offensive of the war early Saturday , attacking what they call the last Taliban stronghold in a war-scarred southern province . Military officials said the offensive -- dubbed Operation Moshtarak -- got under way at 2 a.m. -LRB- 4:30 p.m. ET Friday -RRB- . Moshtarak , a Dari word for `` together , '' symbolizes the fact that combined forces are serving alongside one another . `` Insurgents who do not accept the government 's offer to reintegrate and join the political process will be met with overwhelming force , '' the International Security Assistance Force Joint Command said in a statement . `` However , the strongest of measures will be taken to protect the civilian population . '' Some of about 15,000 troops from the United States , United Kingdom , Afghanistan and Canada attacked Taliban targets in and around Marjah , a city of 80,000 to 100,000 residents , where the Taliban has set up a shadow government , coalition military authorities said . By about 8 a.m. -LRB- 10 p.m. ET Friday -RRB- two firefights had erupted between the Taliban and U.S.