The top NATO commander in the country has said that a NATO-led operation to drive the Taliban from Afghanistan's Kandahar province will take longer than planned.

The BBC reported on Thursday that U. S. Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal said the operation was moving at a slower pace to help garner local support.

McChrystal told a meeting of NATO members in Brussels, "We refined our strategy. We made some difficult resource decisions. We overhauled our approach to how we were going about operations. We retooled how we developed the Afghan National Security Forces. They are the strategic main effort, and they're key to the long-term stability in the country. Their growth is on track. We're ahead of the plan, I should say."

McChrystal said, "I think it will take a number of months to play out. It's more important we get it right than we get it fast."

U. S. forces had planned to start the Kandahar operation this summer, McChrystal said while not specifying a revised timeline.

The British broadcaster further reported that NATO officials have said taking control of Kandahar would be key to reversing momentum of Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan.

It has been reported that Taliban insurgents have been battling to overthrow the U. S.-backed government and expel the 130,000 members of the international forces. (With Inputs from Agencies)