KABUL, Feb. 21 (Xinhuanet) -- Commander-in-chief of the U.S.-led coalition forces in Afghanistan on Tuesday predicted more Taliban-linked militant offensive in the coming months.

    "We do anticipate there will be more fighting in the months ahead," Lt. General Karl Eikenberry told participants at the change of command ceremony of the 10th Mountain Division at the U.S. army Headquarters in Bagram airbase, 50 km north of Kabul.

    The Light Infantry division has been assigned to root out Taliban and al-Qaida associates in the post-Taliban Afghanistan and surrounding areas.

    Commander of the 20,000-strong U.S.-dominated coalition troops also said that militants would target Afghans and their international partners to sabotage the ongoing reconstruction process in the war-ravaged nation.

    "The enemy would increasingly resort to atrocities in an effort to attack the will of Afghan people and the international partnersto rubber the extra ordinary gains have been made over the past four years," the U.S. army General noted.

    He made this comment amid increasing Taliban-linked insurgency and the militants' threat to further intensify their attacks on foreign troops in spring when the weather gets warm.

    More than 1,500 people lost their lives in Taliban-led militancy in 2005 while the movement's activities since this January have claimed the lives of around 100 people, including four American soldiers.

    Meanwhile, the U.S. General repeated Washington's support to the ongoing rebuilding process of Afghanistan and said his government would spare no efforts in stabilizing the war-torn nation.

    "We the United States will keep our counter-terrorism capability, we keep on our efforts to help build the Afghan national security forces and its army Corps of Engineers," he categorically noted.

    Later on, he handed over the flag of the 10th Mountain Division to its new commander Major General Benjamin C. Freakley and wished him all success during his mission in Afghanistan.

    The United States has decided to pull out 3,000 of its troops from Afghanistan this year. However, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) would supplement the U.S.-led war on terror inthe country by deploying additional 6,000 troops.

    NATO has already commanding 9,200-strong International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan.

    "United States is a member of NATO and therefore U.S. success is NATO success and is Afghanistan's success. Our commitment to NATO and to Afghanistan is firm and is enduring," the American General said. Enditem