Q+A: NATO "Operation Mushtarak" in Afghanistan's Helmand

KABUL (Reuters) - U.S. Marines are making steady progress in one of the biggest NATO offensives in Afghanistan since the war began in 2001, but areas infested with roadside bombs are bogging them down, a spokesman said on Monday.

Here are some questions and answers on the offensive, now in its third day:

WHO'S WINNING?

It is too early to draw conclusions about the assault on Marjah town and the surrounding area, and commanders have said the battle could last weeks.

Few doubt that the U.S.-led coalition, with its overwhelming firepower and manpower, will be able to retake the area. That, U.S. commanders say, is not the point.

WHAT IS THE POINT OF THE OFFENSIVE?

To prove that U.S. President Barack Obama's 30,000 troop "surge" can help clear out militant strongholds like Marjah, and pave the way for Afghan authorities to take over and begin providing services.

That is the overall strategy to allow a planned U.S. troop drawdown in 2011. Marjah is just the first area, and it has plenty of challenges. The area has been a breeding ground for insurgents and highly lucrative poppy cultivation, which Western countries say funds the insurgency.

Beyond that, the Afghan government must win over the local population and ensure political and economic stability to remove conditions that create militancy. The Taliban are more likely to appeal to young men who have no jobs and get poor basic services from local authorities, widely viewed as corrupt.

WHAT IS THE FIGHTING LIKE?

There are reports of sporadic battles as troops move in, and are attacked by militants who are dug in, lying in wait.

Afghan officials said on Sunday that as many as 35 militants had been killed in the first two days of the offensive, and that Taliban fighters have tried to blow themselves up among troops. The Taliban have made no public comments on how many casualties they have suffered.

WHO IS TAKING PART?

Operation Mushtarak, the Dari word for "together," is made up of a combined force of 15,000. The assault is led by the U.S. Marines, with British and Afghan troops also taking part. The Marines are assaulting the area around Marjah, and the British are responsible for Nad Ali district to its east.

HOW MANY TALIBAN FIGHTERS ARE THERE?

No one knows, but estimates have ranged from a few hundred to several thousand. The U.S. military, and villagers, have said that some have already fled.

WHY HAS NATO NOT KEPT THE OPERATION SECRET?

The assault had been flagged for months to persuade militants to leave the area without digging in for a fight that could lead to their mass destruction, on the scale seen in Iraq's Fallujah in 2004.

NATO is also keen to avoid civilian casualties and has advised civilians not to leave their homes.

Twelve people died on Sunday when NATO rockets missed their targets, for which the United States apologized. Some have fled, but many have stayed. The tradeoff on the fair warning? It gave militants time to set up all kinds of booby-traps. (Editing by Michael Georgy and Ron Popeski)