British defence secy in Kabul as troops in fighting

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KABUL, Dec 9 (AFP): British Defence Secretary Des Browne conferred with his Afghan counterpart in Kabul Sunday as troops from both nations pushed ahead with an operation to oust Taliban from the southern town of Musa Qala.
Browne, who arrived in Afghanistan Saturday, held talks with Afghan Defence Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak before travelling to the western city of Herat, the British embassy said.
On the first day of his visit, Browne met British troops in Kabul, a spokesman said without being able to give details of the minister's programme.
British and Afghan troops are leading an operation officially launched Friday to wrest Musa Qala back from the Taliban who moved in 10 months ago breaking a deal which led British forces to pull out.
The town in Afghanistan's main opium-producing province, Helmand -- where British troops are the lead nation in a NATO-led force sent to help the post-Taliban government -- has become a base for Taliban waging an intensifying insurgency.