The NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan on Tuesday downplayed media reports suggesting that hundreds of Taliban fighters were involved in a major two-day militant offensive in the south of the war-torn Asian nation.
"The International Security Assistance Force is not seeing anywhere near the reported 500 - 1,000 insurgents. Our reporting shows there were about 10 groups of 4-5 fighters each doing drive-by shootings against five police checkpoints," ISAF spokesman Col. Thomas Collins said in a statement.
"Local Afghan security forces called for (Afghan) reinforcements, and none of the checkpoints were overrun," the spokesman added.
Earlier in the day, media reports suggested that hundreds of Taliban fighters were involved in the coordinated attacks on security checkpoints in the Sangin district of Helmand province since late Sunday.
Afghan officials have since said that a strong response by security forces had forced the attackers to retreat. They added that four soldiers and at least ten militants were killed in the two days of fierce fighting.
Incidentally, the Afghan National Army has been taking the lead in fighting insurgents in recent months, as the nations involved in the ISAF mission have already declared that they intend to withdraw their troops from the country by the end of 2014.
ISAF has already begun the process of entrusting security responsibilities to Afghan forces in a gradual manner ahead of its eventual withdrawal. However, there are wide concerns about the ability of Afghan national forces to counter the resurgent Taliban insurgency without the same level of foreign military assistance and presence.
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