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| Afghanistan |
| Over 3 dozens of Taliban militants killed in S. Afghanistan |
| 2008-06-19 |
| (Xinhua) -- Afghan police killed 14 Taliban insurgents in Maywand district of southern Kandahar province, while Afghan and NATO forces killed over 23 militants in Arghandab district Wednesday, an official said. A group of Taliban militants ambushed a police convoy in Maywand and the clash left 14 militants dead but caused no casualties to the police, Kandahar provincial governor Asadullah Khalid said. At a press conference in Kandahar city, the provincial capital, Khalid said Afghan and NATO forces killed over 20 militants and wounded 40 more insurgents during a major operation beginning Wednesday morning to drive out militants from Arghandab. Earlier, a defense ministry press release said over 23 militants including 'foreign terrorists' were killed in the anti-Taliban operation in Arghandab, some 20 km north of Kandahar city. Khalid said two foreign journalists on the scene were also wounded by hostile firing as Afghan and NATO troops were battling hundreds of militants in Arghandab. Both were undergoing treatment at NATO military's medical facilities. Following a Taliban-led prison break on June 13 in Kandahar city, the largest city in the country, Afghan troops backed by foreign forces have intensified the search and fight operations against militants. Scores of militants have been killed in the province, a known birthplace of Taliban militants. Since three days ago, a group of Taliban militants have massed in Arghandab and occupied several villages, forcing hundreds of local families to escape. Afghan and NATO forces Wednesday started a major offensive to combat the militants and reportedly have recaptured some villages. The ongoing operation is expected to be completed with the next three days, according to the NATO military. The past three weeks have seen an escalated militancy across Afghanistan, where Taliban-led violence and related conflicts left 8,000 people, mostly insurgents, dead last year. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #11 Skunky, thanks for the Torch link. Very informative. Also very funny: So to the idiots at the Globe & (bloody) Mail: show me where exactly Canadian and Afghan troops can't go in Arghandab. Because the Taliban can't be said to control a damned thing otherwise... ...except maybe a Toronto newsroom. |
| Posted by: Seafarious 2008-06-19 13:05 |
| #10 Let's not forget that our guys undercount, and there's no mention of numbers of wounded. Forty-eight hour rule, of course, although at the rate they're going, there will have been several battles and several more scores of bad guys killed by then. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2008-06-19 11:28 |
| #9 Interesting blog discussion of how the pro-Taliban Globe and Mail in Toronto is sensationalizing the story: The Torch H/T SDA |
| Posted by: Skunky Glins 5*** 2008-06-19 11:24 |
| #8 Apparently they still want to check more thoroughly before announcing the area cleared. It's easier to turn over the rocks with the right combination of explosives ... |
| Posted by: Steve White 2008-06-19 11:23 |
| #7 AP and reuters were at the same news conf, and confirm its contents. Thank gawd Roooters was there; we can't quote the AP you know. |
| Posted by: Steve White 2008-06-19 11:22 |
| #6 AP and reuters were at the same news conf, and confirm its contents. There is apparently some disagreement as to whether the area has been completely cleared, with the governor of Kandahar province claiming it has been, but NATO officers saying theres still some work to be done, though no further engagements in the last few hours. Apparently they still want to check more thoroughly before announcing the area cleared. |
| Posted by: liberalhawk 2008-06-19 11:09 |
| #5 AFP sources it to a joint press conf of Afghan Defense Ministry and NATO/ISAF officials. Im assuming the NATO/ISAF officials are getting their info direct from the Canadian military. |
| Posted by: liberalhawk 2008-06-19 11:03 |
| #4 Let's wait until someone with a degree of reliability tells us how many Talibs are toes up. |
| Posted by: Chuck Simmins 2008-06-19 10:58 |
| #3 Quagmire! |
| Posted by: anonymous5089 2008-06-19 09:40 |
| #2 AFP reports 56 Taliban dead, rest routed, villages cleared. |
| Posted by: liberalhawk 2008-06-19 09:36 |
| #1 On NPR ther other night, I heard US forces are part of the arghandan op, as well as afghans and canadians. |
| Posted by: liberalhawk 2008-06-19 09:06 |