 The Afghan government announced yesterday that an advance guard of elite Australian troops has begun new operations against insurgents in Afghanistan ahead of elections. They will be joined soon by the rest of a 190-strong force of Special Air Services soldiers and commandos deployed to fight a resurgence in rebel attacks, Defense Minister Robert Hill told reporters in Canberra. Australia deployed some 1,000 troops in support of the US-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, but they were withdrawn toward the end of 2002. The new troops are believed to be in provinces along the border with Pakistan but Hill would not say where. âWe have an area of operations that has been particularly troubling for a long time in terms of Taleban activity. That continues to be so,â he said. |