Q+A - What next for Afghanistan's Operation Khanjar?

By Paul Tait

KABUL (Reuters) - U.S. military commanders in the southern Afghan province of Helmand have warned of the calm before the storm as thousands of Marines move with little resistance so far through the Taliban stronghold.

The new assault, Operation Khanjar, or Strike of the Sword, is the first big offensive under U.S. President Barack Obama's new regional strategy to defeat the Taliban and its allies and stabilise Afghanistan.

With the Marines expecting a long, hard fight as they attempt to retake and hold ground from the Taliban -- and plenty of talking with community leaders as well -- here are some questions and answers about how the operation is likely to proceed.

IS THIS THE DECISIVE OPERATION?

It's a start, analysts say.

"Up until now there hasn't been an operation of this kind in Afghanistan," said Sajjan Gohel, a security and intelligence analyst at the Asia-Pacific Foundation in London.

"The Taliban have become much more competent, much more deadly in recent years, and if the country is going to stand on its own two feet and the Taliban are going to be contained ... then we need this sort of operation."