Taleban more aggressive and more numerous: French admiral

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ON BOARD THE CHARLES DE GAULLE AIRCRAFT CARRIER - Taleban rebels in southern Afghanistan have become much more aggressive as their numbers and confidence have increased, the officer heading French forces providing support to coalition forces in the country said on Sunday.

“We can clearly see, now that we’re in the area... that they are a lot more aggressive”, Rear Admiral Xavier Magne noted.

Since May 5, the air and sea forces he commands have been providing daily backup to the NATO coalition forces that are fighting the Taleban uprising.

“Comparing the tasks our troops were presented with at the beginning and those they are facing now, you can tell they are having more problems now, which means there are much greater concentrations of rebels,” the admiral said at a news conference on board the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea.