US soldiers shaking hands with schoolchildren at the Sultan Shahabuddin Ghori high school in Ghazni, some 200km south west of Kabul on Saturday. Taleban have warned it will stage a "massive" operation against Western troops and asked civilians to stay away from them. (AFP)

KABUL • The Taleban will stage a "massive" operation against Western troops in Afghanistan and civilians must stay away from them in order to avoid casualties, a spokesman for the group said yesterday.

After the traditional winter lull, followed by last year's bloodiest fighting since the Taleban's ouster in 2001, the militants have stepped up their attacks in recent months against Afghan and foreign troops led by Nato and the US military.

Foreign forces have already warned civilians to avoid their military convoys in the face of rising Taleban suicide attacks against them. These attacks have resulted in a series of mistaken killings of non-combatants by the foreign troops.

The Taleban's warning was issued through their military council, a spokesman said by phone from an undisclosed location. "For the safety of civilians' lives, we ask all the Muslim and Afghan nation to (do) their best to keep (their) distance from occupying forces' convoys, bases and concentration areas," said Zabihullah Mujahid.

Meanwhile, the Taleban threatened yesterday to behead an Afghan doctor and three nurses captured two months ago unless the government hands over the body of slain top commander Mullah Dadullah.

Dadullah was killed three weeks ago in the armed forces' biggest success against the extremists that launched an insurgency after being driven from government in 2001.

His position at the head of fighters in southern Afghanistan was taken by one of his brothers, Mansoor Dadullah, who issued the latest ultimatum through a spokesman.

"If the government does not give us Dadullah's body in three days, we will behead them," spokesman Shohabudin Atal said. The ultimatum will end at 10am tomorrow, said Atal, who has often spoken to various media on behalf of both the Dadullah brothers.

NATO soldier killed

A Nato soldier and an Afghan interpreter were killed in an ambush in eastern Afghanistan that wounded seven other foreign troops, Nato’s International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) said yesterday.

An Isaf convoy was ambushed with guns and rocket-propelled grenades on Saturday, the alliance's force said in a statement.

It did not give the location of the ambush but a regional official said it was in Nuristan province, on the border with Pakistan.

"Seven other Isaf servicemembers were wounded by the small-arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades... Their conditions are unknown at this time although none are considered life-threatening."

The number of foreign soldiers killed in the growing Taleban insurgency, in which other militant groups also play a part, has stepped up in the past weeks. One was killed in a bombing on Friday, two days after seven were killed when a helicopter was brought down in the south. The Taleban has said it shot down the Chinook but ISAF has not confirmed the claim.

Three German soldiers and a Finn were killed in attacks in late May.

Saturday's death takes to 75 the number of foreign soldiers killed in Afghanistan this year, most of them in hostile action and about half of them US nationals.

New operations

Afghan security forces supported by Nato and US-led troops have launched a wave of operations against militants in insurgency-hit southern Afghanistan, the defence ministry said yesterday.

A defence ministry spokesman told reporters in Kabul the operations launched last week were in the southern provinces of Ghazni, Helmand and Kandahar. All have seen intense Taleban activity in the past weeks.

"These operations are aimed at providing security in the area so the reconstruction can take place," General Mohammad Zahir Azimi told a news conference.

Operation "Kulang" (pickaxe), involving hundreds of Afghan troops and British forces operating under the Nato-led Isaf, was underway in districts of Helmand, Azimi said.

The offensive caused 60 Taleban fighters to flee across the Helmand River on Friday, he said. Their boat sank and they were all killed, he said.