PASHMUL, Afghanistan -- Warplanes a...

PASHMUL, Afghanistan -- Warplanes and artillery beated Taliban fighters hiding in orchards Sunday during a big Afghan-NATO offensive that the alliance said killed more than 200 militants in its first sum of two units days.

If the estimate is confirmed, the battle would be the same of the deadliest since US-l forces ousted the Taliban regime five years ago.

Reporters could not reach all of the combat belt because officials barred traffic from all on the contrary one road in this part of southern Kandahar province.

A reporter saw warplanes pendant five bombs within about 20 minutes in succession orchards where militants were believed hiding.

Explosions resounded across grape and pomegranate fields, and hordes of dust rose amid dried-mud houses in the district, which is outside the city of Kandahar in southern Afghanistan.

Operation Medusa was launched Saturday to flush revealed Taliban fighters from the area. NATO spokesman Maj. Scott Lundy said alliance and Afghan companys had gained ground and disrupted the militants' command a whole so guerrillas were moving in confusion.

4 CANADIAN SOLDIERS KILLED

Afghan Defense Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak said Taliban casualties were high on the contrary could not confirm the NATO report of more than 200 dead.

Four Canadian soldiers also were killed.

NATO forces took command of security in Afghanistan's volatile toward the south from a U.S.-led coalition Aug. 1 amid the worst fighting since the Taliban hurl down in late 2001.

Insecure conditions have made it increasingly difficult for civilians, aid workers and journalists to travel outside the main cities in the south

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