KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — A Canadian colonel serving in Afghanistan says the fight against the Taliban isn't about to end any time soon.

Christian Juneau, deputy commander of Canadian troops in southern Afghanistan, said today it is premature to talk about an end to the hostilities in the war-ravaged country.

Juneau's comments come a few days after Asadullah Khalid, the governor of Kandahar, predicted NATO forces would defeat the Taliban in the not too distant future.

Juneau says it's hard to know whether the war will end in two, three or 10 years.

The colonel acknowledged that while Taliban insurgents can't match NATO forces in terms of military might, they are still capable of deadly strikes.