No Troops

LONDON - No British troops are involved in the US military operation around the Taliban stronghold of Kandahar in southern Afghanistan, British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said yesterday. “There are no British troops involved at the moment,” Straw told BBC radio. The Pakistan-based Afghan Islamic Press (AIP) said US troops and artillery landed south of Kandahar in what appeared to be the start of a major final offensive against the Taliban centre. AIP said troops were landing near the airport some 20 kilometres (12 miles) outside Kandahar. However, Washington has yet to formally confirm the reports. Ends