US Marines deployed into Taliban strongholds in a major assault in Afghanistan are in a "hell of a fight", the commander of the operation, Brigadier General Larry Nicholson, said Friday.

Nearly 4000 Marines launched the operation Thursday in the southern province of Helmand in the first major test of US President Barack Obama's aggressive new strategy against the insurgents.

The 1/5 Infantry Battalion met only light resistance in their push south and had already been able to meet locals at shuras (councils), Nicholson said.

But he added: "For 2/8 there is a hell of a fight going on in the southern quarter of the sector."

"2/8 are going to face some challenges," he said on arrival at Garmsir, a town along the Helmand River that is a key objective for the air and ground assault.

Troops managed to destroy a militant position in the town on Thursday, said the commander of the Marine forces in Afghanistan.

"An enemy-controlled baseline just south of Garmsir was crushed yesterday but that doesn't mean all the enemy have gone," he said.

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