6 Afghan police die in Taliban offensive

KABUL, Afghanistan, Feb. 5 (UPI) -- A land mine blast killed six Afghan police officers in the southern province of Kandahar as an offensive by the Islamist Taliban movement escalated Sunday.

Militants have stepped up their activities in the southern provinces ahead of NATO troop deployment in the region, and militia attacks have claimed the lives of about 40 people over the past two days, China's Xinhua state news agency reported.

Fighting raged in the southern province of Helmand for a second night as Taliban fighters attacked two government offices, while Afghan and U.S. forces continued to pursue a large group of militants into the mountains on Saturday, The New York Times reported.

The battle erupted Thursday night when about 200 Taliban fighters ambushed a police patrol near the town of Sangin, then attacked reinforcements as they arrived. Coalition planes, including British Harriers and U.S. A10 attack jets and B-52 bombers, joined the battle.

"Our forces will continue our aggressive attacks on the enemy whenever and wherever they attempt to conduct their operations," Lt. Col. Jerry O'Hara, spokesman for the U.S.-led task force said in a statement.