Two thousand NATO and Afghan soldiers are involved in the largest military operation to occur in southern Afghanistan since NATO took over the area in early July. The explosion of violence in the area has taken the lives of over 200 Taliban fighters and of four Canadian soldiers. A UK reconnaissance plane also crashed, killing 14 people.

BBC: More than 200 Taleban fighters have been killed in a major offensive by Afghan and Nato forces in southern Afghanistan, Nato says.

Four Canadian soldiers with the Nato forces were also killed in Operation Medusa, which began on Saturday near the city of Kandahar.

A UK reconnaissance plane supporting the offensive crashed on Saturday, killing all 14 people on board.

Afghanistan is witnessing its bloodiest period since the Taleban fell in 2001.

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