U.S. Troops Step Up Hunt for Insurgents in Afghanistan

As hundreds of U.S. and Afghan soldiers hunted insurgents along the rugged border with Pakistan, the U.S. ambassador here predicted Tuesday that Taliban and other guerrillas would intensify their attacks in coming weeks.

The troops, numbering about 2,000 and backed by air power, are carrying out what the military calls its largest operation in Afghanistan since the Taliban was overthrown two years ago. The mission, called Operation Avalanche, is aimed at smoking out Taliban fighters and their allies with multi-pronged assaults in eastern and southern Afghanistan before winter sets in.

The operation, which began Dec. 2, is the latest in a string of military efforts along Afghanistan’s border with Pakistan, where guerrilla attacks have steadily increased.