OTTAWA - Canadian forces in southern Afghanistan have arrested several bomb makers and militants in a series of raids over the last month, a senior military officer said Thursday.

But despite these successes, he said the Taliban remained a substantial threat in southern Afghanistan and predicted some "tough slogging" before this year's fighting season ended with the arrival of winter weather.

Most of the 70 Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan since 2002 have died in blasts caused by roadside bombs and landmines -- also known as improvised explosive devices, or IEDS -- planted by the Taliban.

"We have conducted some targeted operations over the course of the last month, which have seen ... a number of known bomb makers and commanders of IED cells apprehended and detained," said Lt.-Gen. Michel Gauthier, who commands all troops on overseas missions.

Source of information: http://wn.com