Brig. Gen. Larry Nicholson, commander of the U.S. Marines in Marjah, said Thursday that the coalition forces have taken control of the main roads, bridges and government centers in Marjah.

However, the firing intensified near the center of town on Saturday as the Taliban insurgents tried to close in on U.S. marines.

The Operation Mashtarak, which means together in local language, which was launched to clear Marjah district in southern Helmand province of Taliban militants, entered its seventh day Friday while reconstruction have started. [Xinhua]

A NATO statement said that the fighting remained difficult in the northeast and west of Marjah.

Operation Moshtarak is the biggest military campaign against Taliban since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan.

NATO claims that it has killed dozens of Taliban militants and arrested a number of others against its loss of 12 soldiers and 16 civilians.

The operation is aimed at securing the area and rushing in a civilian administration after restoring public services and pouring in aid to try to win the loyalty of the population and prevent the Taliban from returning.

Helmand administration says it plans to deploy 1,000 police personnel to restore the central government's writ in the town.

The recently held London Conference had envisaged handing over Afghanistan district-by-district to the Afghan security forces from the middle of this year so that the international forces are able to begin their withdrawal in July 2011.

Claiming that Operation Moshtarak is the commencement of Taliban's melting down, the international coalition forces say that the resistance in Marjah is scattered and it lacks coordination.

However, spokesman for Helmand's provincial administration Daud Ahmadi claims to the contrary, saying the Taliban fighters are offering strong resistance, adding that only around 40 Taliban fighters have so far been killed.

Claims and counter-claims of the belligerent sides apart, the fact remains that the operation is confronted with serious difficulties, mainly caused by the mines and IEDs (improvised explosive devices) laid by the Taliban around the town.

U.S. marines clear Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) from a main route on the outskirts of Marjah on February 21.[Xinhua]