Afghan exodus ahead of largest coalition offensive since war began

Villages surrounding the Taliban-held target of a massive Nato operation in southern Afghanistan have emptied ahead of the start of the offensive.

Operation Moshtarak - taken from the Dari word for 'together - will see 4,000 UK troops join a combined British, American, Afghan, Canadian, French and Estonian force of 15,000 to assault the Taliban stronghold of Marja in Helmand province.

The offensive is thought to be the largest since the Taliban were overthrown in 2001 and the first since US president Barack Obama's 30,000-strong troop surge.

UK defence secretary Bob Ainsworth has already warned people to expect British and coalition deaths during the course of the offensive, which is targeting about 2,000 Taliban gunmen.

"Of course casualties are something that we have to expect when we are involved in these operations," he said late on Sunday night.

"This is not in any way a safe environment and it doesn't matter how much kit and equipment we provide for people. We can never entirely make these operations risk-free."

Operation Moshtarak is Nato's first military move since a major conference on Afghanistan's future was held in London at the end of last month.

At the talks it was agreed that Afghanistan would be responsible for its own security in five years and will begin assuming control in 2010.

A $140 million fund has been pledged towards president Hamid Karzai's reconciliation strategy targeting non-ideological Taliban members.

UK foreign secretary David Miliband said the choice facing members of the Taliban insurgency were reintegration into Afghan society and complete acceptance of the country's constitution or "unremitting military force".