NATO service member killed in southern Afghanistan

AP – Thu Dec 9, 6:35 am ET

KABUL, Afghanistan –

 Taliban fighters (described by AP as Insurgents) killed a NATO service member Thursday in southern Afghanistan, where coalition and Afghan troops are battling to gain control of traditional Taliban strongholds.

The international military coalition did not provide details about the death, which brings to 13 the number of NATO service members who have died in Afghanistan this month. More than 670 have been killed so far this year, already exceeding the 502 killed last year.

The governor of Kandahar province, Tooryalai Wesa, told reporters Thursday the military operation in his southern province, meant to rout insurgents, was nearly finished in key districts.

"Now, we're in the second phase, which is rebuilding," Wesa said. "We've cleared the area of insurgents and now public councils are working, trying to solve problems like electricity or water or other problems. The other thing that I'm trying to fix is getting good education to the people."

Maj. Gen. James Terry, a coalition commander in the south, said that with insurgents pushed out of key parts of Kandahar it was time to start development work and bolster governance.

"We all know that we need more time for this operation because this is not a small operation," Terry said. "We will cover the area and we will try our best to prevent insurgents from coming back.

"At the same time, we will secure the people and we will bring things like school and health — all things that people need."

The military's first big push into a Taliban stronghold last year, in the town of Marjah in neighboring Helmand province, has been struggling since shifting from a purely military operation to one that focuses more on providing services for the population. The insurgency also has proven stubborn in Marjah, with many fighters reappearing to launch nighttime strikes months after the area was declared under government control.

In neighboring Helmand province, a Taliban leader and three of his family members were killed Wednesday in a coalition airstrike on their car, which was traveling in Nad Ali district, according to the provincial governor's office.

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Associated Press writer Mirwais Khan in Kandahar contributed to this report.