MARJAH, Afghanistan (AP) -- About two dozen Marines are going behind enemy lines in the Afghan town of Marjah, as the military steps up its week-old offensive into the militant stronghold.
An officer who spoke on condition of anonymity says the recon teams were airdropped into an area where skilled Taliban marksmen are known to operate.
Other squads of Marines and Afghan forces are marching south to link up with Marine outposts. NATO says troops are still meeting "some resistance" from armed insurgents, but the biggest threat remains homemade bombs. Six coalition troops were killed yesterday, making it the deadliest day so far in the offensive.
The commander of the U.S. Marines in Marjah says allied forces now control the "spine" of the town.
No precise figures on Taliban deaths have been released, but senior Marine officers say it appears more than 120 have died.
Several residents in Marjah say the Taliban fighters in the area aren't from Afghanistan.
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