DERBYSHIRE troops have led an operation to clear a Taliban stronghold in Afghanistan as part of a major assault.

Soldiers from the 2nd Battalion Mercian Regiment (Worcesters and Foresters) swept through the ahr-e-Burgha canal, just north of Lashkar Gah in the Helmand Province, in a bid to free the area of insurgents.

More than 400 soldiers from the regiment, known as the Woofers, are about halfway through their third six-month tour of duty.

They are now involved in operation Panchai Palang, meaning Panther's Claw, which began two weeks ago when more than 350 soldiers from other regiments secured three crossing points.

Soldiers from the 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, accompanied by members of the Afghan National Security Forces, then advanced further into the Taliban stronghold before troops from Derbyshire led the third stage of the operation alongside the Light Dragoons.

A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Defence said that, by delivering security to local people and assisting Afghan authorities, the operation would assist in the preparations for the presidential elections which are due to take place in coming months.

The operation involving the Woofers is running alongside the US military operation known as Khanjar, or Strike of the Sword.

Officials have described this operation as the largest and fastest-moving of the war's new phase, involving nearly 4,000 of the newly-arrived Marines and 650 Afghan forces.

Thousands of US Marines and hundreds of Afghan troops poured into villages of southern Afghanistan with armour and helicopters.

The offensive was launched in Helmand province.

Helmand is known as the world's largest opium-poppy producing area.

The goal is to clear insurgents from the hotly-contested region before the nation's August 20 election.

Major Jez Jerome, from 2 Mercian Regiment, said: "Troops from the regiment are involved in the operation in Afghanistan.

"Due to the role that the Woofers have in training the Afghan National Army, as part of an operational mentoring and liaison team, there will always be a presence from the regiment wherever there are soldiers from the Afghan National Army."

Southern Afghanistan is a Taliban stronghold.

But it is also a region where Afghan President Hamid Karzai is seeking votes from fellow Pashtun tribesmen.

The US is deploying 21,000 additional troops to Afghanistan.

This comes in time for the elections and the total number of US forces there should reach 68,000 by the end of the year.