The US-led coalition in Afghanistan would soon launch its winter offensive to wipe out remnants of the former fundamentalist Taliban regime in the post-war nation, a military spokesman said Monday.

"Aimed at destroying anti-coalition militias and ensuring security for the parliamentary elections in spring, the coalition is going to launch the winter operation of Lightening Freedom," Mark McCann told journalists here.

However, he declined to disclose the date of the operation by saying "the winter operation backed by the Afghan national army and police would ensure security for the legislative elections in spring."

He made this comment just one week after the US government had offered amnesty to Taliban militias if they give up resistance.

US Ambassador to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad at a press conference last week urged Taliban fighters to lay down their arms and live in peace in their communities but the militias' spokesman Abdul Latif Hakimi rejected the offer as a ploy to divide the movement.

The first Afghan parliamentary elections in over three decades would be held in April 2005.

"Mounting pressure on the Taliban and al-Qaeda would help to further improve security environment and enable Afghans to rebuild their country," noted the spokesman.