About 4000 people left their homes in the Arghandab district because Taliban militants, who were preparing for battle, began destroying bridges and planting mines in the villages they controlled, said officials on Tuesday.

According to The Associated Press, Tuesday, a Taliban commander named Mullah Ahmedullah called a reporter from their news agency and told him that about 400 Taliban had taken over Arghandab and they were willing to “fight until the death.” Ahmedullah added that they were waiting for “the NATO and Afghan forces.”

Apparently, three days before establishing into Arghandab district, Taliban militants had attacked a prison and set free about 400 prisoners. Ahmedullah said that some of those fighters have joined the attack.

Sardar Mohammad, a police officer, said that more than 700 families fled the Arghandab district 10 miles northwest of Kandahar city. Police verified every person who passed through a checkpoint on the east side of the Arghandab River.

Mohammad also said that about 10 villages, on then west side of the river, were controlled by hundreds of Taliban.

Tuesday, the Afghan army brought to Kandahar four planes loaded with soldiers and also Canadian forces came into the region. Des Browne, Defense Secretary told the Parliament that the government would increase the number of British troops to more than 8,000. Mohammad said that they were waiting for their commanders to give them permission “to attack the Taliban,” reported The Associated Press

On one side of the river, which divides Arghandab, there are the NATO and Afghan troops and on the other side there are the Taliban militants.

The Taliban attacked Monday the periphery of Kandahar, even though NATO and U.S. troops were very numerous in the country. The attack happened one day after President Hamid Karzai said in a news conference that he would send Afghan troops into Pakistan, in order to capture Taliban leaders.