Coalition forces in Afghanistan will go on the offensive this fall, says Lt.-Gen. Marc Lessard, the commander of Canadian troops overseas.

His comments to reporters in Kandahar on Saturday echoed those made by British Maj.-Gen. Nick Carter, commander of coalition troops in southern Afghanistan, who said up to 32,000 Afghan and coalition soldiers will try to clear 500 to 800 insurgents from around Kandahar city before December.

Lessard described the coalition push as "massive activities." The attacks will be followed by development projects and efforts to strengthen the local governments.

Canadians patrol Tarnak Farms on Sept. 9. A dam project there, the site of a former al-Qaeda training camp, is part of the Canadian effort to improve the lives of residents. (Dene Moore/Canadian Press)

The Afghan National Army and police will play a key role, part of the coalition plan to shift responsibility to the Afghan forces.

Lessard said he expects the Afghan partners "to have a foot on the ground, ensure security, be seen to improve security."

Tough summer

He said the Taliban had taken the initiative over the summer and it had been "a tough go" for the coalition. "There was a lot more enemy presence and a lot more activity."

The coalition consolidated its position, Lessard said. "There was no more expansion. We didn't have the troops."

But now the Taliban initiative has been stopped. "That's good, but that's not good enough," he said, so the coalition is taking the offensive.

Lessard said Canadian soldiers must improve conditions by the time they're scheduled to pull out next July. He called it part of Canada's legacy in Afghanistan.

"With the 150-plus killed, the hundreds of seriously injured, from our Canadian point of view, that's our legacy."

With files from The Canadian Press