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Canadian military officials are claiming a major victory after blowing up a Taliban command headquarters from which they say insurgents engineered the planting of explosives on the region's major highway.

“The result of this operation, thus far, has been a huge blow to the enemy's ability to plant major IEDs (improvised explosive devices) along Highway 1 in Kandahar,” Lieutenant-Colonel Dave Corbould, the Shilo-based commander of the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, told reporters on Monday.

More importantly, he said, it has hurt the Taliban's ability to plan for future operations. “It has thrown them off balance and we will continue to maintain the momentum to keep them off balance,” said Col. Corbould.

The three-day offensive, which began last Thursday, struck deep in the heart of the Zhari district, west of Kandahar, where Afghan national forces rarely venture.

The first strike was by air. A massive plume that followed an aerial bombardment of the Taliban target could be seen many kilometres away.

Then the ground forces moved in to finish the job.

Coalition troops, members of the Afghan National Army, and the Afghan National Police converged on the command centre which Col. Corbould described as a series of underground bunkers with some surface buildings attached.

In the end, about 40 insurgents lay dead. Some military officials say the strike killed two mid-level commanders but Col. Corbould said it will be some time before that can be confirmed. One suspected Taliban member was taken into custody.

No coalition or Afghan government troops were killed during the operation.

“We are still analyzing the full results,” said the commander, “but I personally believe we have taken out some of the key leaders that have conducted some of these IED operations that have affected local nationals, Afghan security forces as well as ISAF soldiers.”

The operation was conducted in the final weeks that the Edmonton-based battle group are on the ground in Afghanistan. Soldiers from Petawawa, Ont. will soon be arriving as replacements.

Military officials initially said offensive was planned to disrupt the Taliban during the period of troop rotation.

“That's one of the collateral benefits,” said Col. Corbould. But “one of our key focus areas is to maintain a high tempo to make sure the enemy is off balance at all times.”

Highway 1, which is the main east-west route across southern Afghanistan, has been a location of choice for insurgents planting explosives. The blasts have hit truckers, Afghan security forces. and members of the multinational military collation. And they have increased in recent weeks.

“Clearly the enemy had started a focus on highway,” said Col. Corbould. “Ultimately the operation we did the other day was focused on hitting the command and control cell that ensures that the IED supplies are brought in, co-ordinates where they are going to be planted, (and) hires the local national or the farmer or the underling to actually implant it so they don't risk their own lives.”

The Canadian troops also searched surrounding villages and uncovered bomb-making materials and communications equipment.

It is widely acknowledged that an emboldened Taliban have struck hard this year and that security throughout the region has decreased substantially in recent months. The insurgents were successful in their own strikes against coalition forces last week, killing a number of NATO soldiers including three Canadians. And there are many parts of this country that are now under Taliban control.

Col. Corbould said he hopes the coalition assault over the weekend will dampen the ability of the Taliban to plant bombs and cause havoc on Highway 1. But, as to the overall lasting effects, he said, “it's going to take days arguably weeks before we see the ultimate end state of what was achieved.”