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NATO, Afghan forces launch Operation Pamir

BRUSSELS, Belgium — NATO and Afghan army forces have launched an operation against the Taliban designed to keep pressure on the insurgents through the winter, the alliance announced Wednesday.

Operation Pamir began Tuesday and is expected to continue until the spring, said NATO spokesman James Appathurai.

“It will maintain pressure on opposing militant forces,” he said.

Appathurai declined to say how many troops were taking part, but said it would involve actions in all parts of the country, apart from the relatively peaceful North.

NATO commanders have said they intend to carry on the fight against the Taliban through the fall and winter, when the insurgents usually retreat to mountain hideaways.

Appathurai said the new operation would also strengthen the presence of NATO troops and their Afghan allies in major population centers.

The operation is named for the Pamir mountain range that runs through eastern Afghanistan and neighboring nations.