Canadian troops suffered no casualties as they swept into a Taliban hotbed west of Kandahar on Saturday, but a nearby plane crash killed 14 British soldiers.

Canadian combat units, along with other NATO and Afghan forces, have launched a major offensive against insurgents in the violent Panjwai district. The mission is dubbed Operation Medusa.

"It's in an area where Canadian troops have taken casualties," said CTV's Matt McClure on Saturday from Kandahar, ". . . and where they've also been involved in heavy battles trying to take this territory early this year."

Canadian battle group commander, Col. Omer Lavoie, told CTV News that his soldiers have gained the upper hand against the militants despite meeting some resistance.

"We were ambushed en route about four o'clock in the morning. But my platoon . . . dealt with the ambush, engaged and destroyed the enemy, and for the rest of it we moved in here with no resistance," said Lavoie.

"We certainly own the dominating ground now in Panjwai district."

Pro-government forces then proceeded to move into the district, backed by artillery and air support as they prepared to move across the Arghandab River into Pashmul area -- known as the heart of the Taliban stronghold.

The commander of the Canadian contingent said fierce fighting is expected with Taliban guerrillas in this latest mission.

"I think we're talking in the neighbourhood of hundreds" of fighters, said Col. Fred Lewis. "Certainly not thousands, not tens. Might they just fade away? If they're smart, they will."

At least six Canadians have died and 32 were wounded in dozens of bomb attacks, ambushes and pitched battles in the area, according to reports compiled by The Canadian Press.

The area was the scene of a major operation at the start of the summer, known as the Battle of Panjwai. Commanders then claimed to have broken the back of the insurgency there, but coalition troops withdrew and the Taliban took over again.

Brigadier General David Fraser said this time it's going to be different, and that that they're going to hold this area.

"I don't have any worries as we move forward," said Fraser. "We've got all the resources we need right here. We've got close air support, we've got intelligence, we've got artillery and lots of firepower here. The enemy's got more worries than we do."

He also had strong words for the Taliban.

"You've got three choices," he said. "You can either support the government of Afghanistan or you can leave, or we'll give you the third option."

NATO plane crash

Meanwhile, officials said a NATO aircraft crashed about 15 kilometres west of Kandahar city on Saturday, killing 14 British troops.

The British Defence Ministry said the dead included 12 Royal Air Force personnel, a Royal Marine and an army soldier.

The "aircraft was supporting a NATO mission. It went off the radar and crashed in an open area in Kandahar," said Maj. Scott Lundy, spokesperson for the International Security Assistance Force.

The plane was a Nimrod MR2, capable of carrying a maximum of 25 people with a crew of 12. The aircraft is used for reconnaissance missions.

International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said in a statement the plane had declared a technical problem before it went down.

"Enemy action has been discounted at this stage," the ISAF statement said.

Shortly after the crash, Abdul Khaliq, a purported spokesperson for the Taliban, had claimed insurgents managed to shoot down the plane with a Stinger missile.

A witness in Chalaghor, about 19 kilometres west of Kandahar city, told The Associated press he saw a fire at the back of the plane before it struck the ground.

He added that the impact's explosion "shook the whole village."

With reports from CTV's Matt McClure and The Canadian Press in Kandahar, Afghanistan