NATO Warns Afghan Civilians Ahead Of Major Military Offensive

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The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), which is to launch a major offensive against Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan's Helmand province, Tuesday said that Afghan civilians were told to keep their heads down when the military push finally got underway.

NATO's senior civilian representative in Afghanistan Mark Sedwill conceded at a media briefing that the proposed military operation to capture Marjah, the last remaining Taliban stronghold, was likely to trigger an exodus from the region.

"We very much hope that the military phase of this operation will go ahead swiftly and with as little incident as possible," Sedwell said at the briefing at the NATO headquarters in Kabul.

Several thousands of US Marines, NATO and Afghan troops are camping in the region ahead of 'Operation Mushtarak,' the largest military operation mounted by the ISAF in Afghanistan to put and end to threats posed by the Taliban.

Meanwhile, NATO military commanders are not ruling out the possibility of an abject surrender by the Taliban, intimidated by the publicity given to the campaign.

Provincial Governor Gulab Mangal said a commission was formed for handling people displaced by the fighting between forces backing the government and the militants.

"The commission is fully prepared. We have got tents. We've got food. We've got everything in place," Mangal said at the joint news conference with Sedwill.

NATO commanders in charge of the operation have clearly warned the region's nearly 100,000 residents to keep indoors and avoid road travel once the operation started in a bid to minimise civilian casualties.

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