Preparation: British and Afghan soldiers practice their operation drills at Military Operating Base Shorabak in Helmand today
U.S. soldiers on top of their armoured vehicles load their 50-calibre machine guns as they train in Helmand province, southern Afghanistan, today
Some 4,000 UK troops will take part in bloody fighting this week alongside the biggest air assault since the first Gulf War of 1991 is launched
Gen McChrystal, right, today spoke alongside NATO's new civilian chief, former British Ambassador Mark Sedwill, 2nd right, who started his new job with a briefing at NATO headquarters in Kabul
Afghan families flee their homes today ahead of the largest offensive in the eight-year Afghanistan war
Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth warned the public to be braced for casualties last night as troops prepared to launch the biggest offensive in the eight-year Afghanistan war.
A strike force of 15,000 British, U.S. and Afghan troops will mount airborne raids in the most dangerous areas of central Helmand province.
Some 4,000 UK troops will be involved in Operation Moshtarak - which means 'together' in the local Dari language.
It aims to reassure ordinary Afghans by driving the Taliban out of their strongholds and destroying their bomb factories.
Mr Ainsworth said: 'We shouldn't deny or pretend to people that casualties are not a very real risk on these kind of operations and people have to be prepared for that.
'This is not a safe environment and it doesn't matter how much kit and equipment we provide for them, we cannot entirely make these operations risk-free.
The Defence Secretary also revealed that British forces were engaged in direct talks with some Taliban fighters.
He said: 'There's no need for us to wait until some end point before we start talking to those elements of the Taliban who don't share all of the ideological aims of some of their leaders. Those talks have already been going on for some time.'
His casualty warning was echoed by General Sir David Richards, chief of the general staff, who said: 'There are inevitably risks but the gains are considerable.
'Offensive operations like Moshtarak are a key part of any counter-insurgency campaign.'
Colonel Richard Kemp, who commanded forces in Afghanistan in 2006, warned: 'There will be heavy fighting.
'The Taliban know the area very well and will have prepared escape routes through tunnels, alleyways or buildings. They will fire on our troops and then run.
There will be a lot of IEDs (improvised explosive devices), a lot of snipers and a lot of hit and run. We will probably have to brace ourselves for a large number of casualties.'
He said the Taliban were already using children to lay IEDs and throw grenades.
The scale of the offensive, whose start date is being kept secret, will dwarf Operation Panther's Claw, in which ten British soldiers died last summer.
British commanders are worried that troops being flown to the battlefield by helicopter could come under heavy fire from Taliban fighters.
One senior officer said: 'Our real concern is that we could lose one or more Chinooks filled with soldiers - that would come close to being catastrophic.
'The British public needs to steel itself for these casualties. We need the people in the UK to show a great deal of resilience. This is about delivering what could amount to a decisive blow to the Taliban in Helmand province.'
One of the soldiers preparing for the attacks, Lance Corporal Nick Richards, 22, from Llanelli, said: 'People are saying that this is the biggest assault of this kind since Vietnam, so everyone wants to be a part of it.
'We are proud to be part of the big picture of change in Afghanistan. It's definitely going to have a big impact on Helmand in getting rid of the Taliban and bringing stability to the area. The locals are under a lot of stress and we will try and help them out to relieve that pressure.'
The offensive comes a month before the start of the usual 'fighting season' in Afghanistan and is expected to continue throughout the summer.
British military spokesman Major General Gordon Messenger-said there had been a 'conscious decision' to reveal it in advance, despite losing the element of surprise.
He said: 'The purpose is to give the Taliban a choice - either to put down their weapons and become part of legitimate society or to fight.
'If they choose to fight, they will be subjected to overwhelming force and will be defeated.'
But villagers fleeing the target areas said the Taliban were ignoring the coalition warning.
'They are bringing in people and weapons and planting mines,' said one man. 'We know there is going to be a big fight.'
* Taliban fighters are stealing ammonium nitrate fertiliser sent by aid organisations to help farmers and using it for roadside bombs, it was revealed yesterday. The aim is to foil coalition metal detectors.
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