| Submit your comments on this article |
| Afghanistan |
| 70 rebels killed in Afghani fighting |
| 2008-07-27 |
UP to 70 insurgents were killed in Afghanistan overnight when helicopter gunships and ground fighting repulsed an attack by about 100 rebels near the Pakistan border, officials said. It was the latest in a series of major battles as violence linked to a Taliban-led insurgency has picked up in recent weeks with several deadly extremist attacks and military operations under way against the rebels. About 100 insurgents had tried to capture the Spera district centre, 15km from the border with Pakistan, opening fire on police about 2am (6am AEST) with guns and rocket-propelled grenades, the NATO force said. Police and soldiers from NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) surrounded the attackers and called air strikes consisting of heavy machinegun fire from helicopters, ISAF said. "Some insurgents attempted to take cover in a nearby building that helicopters then struck with missiles. "ANP (Afghan National Police) and ISAF continued to engage the insurgents in a firefight from the ground and air until the early morning hours," it said, with the number of insurgents killed in the "double-digit figures". The provincial governor of Khost, which includes Spera, put the attackers' death toll at between 50 and 70. "They had killed one policeman in the initial attack and had captured another officer who was later beheaded," governor Arsala Jamal said. "As they retreated, international military air forces came in and bombed them. Fifty to 70 Taliban have been killed," Mr Jamal said. The rebels were able to get "very close" to the district headquarters in Spera before the air forces arrived, he said. The air strikes were later halted to avoid civilian casualties after the militants moved into villages, he said. "We could have killed more Taliban if they had not entered the villages. Those of them killed were targeted while massing in an area outside the villages," he said. |
| Posted by:tipper |
| #2 Keep 'em coming. Like I stated last week, we will not make the mistake of leaving outposts without a QRF and tons of firepower |
| Posted by: anymouse 2008-07-27 19:34 |
| #1 UP to 70 insurgents were killed in Afghanistan overnight when helicopter gunships and ground fighting repulsed an attack by about 100 rebels near the Pakistan border Very naughty of the troops to kill insurgents when it was rebels who were attacking. My condolences to the family of families of the two policemen murdered by the Pakistani whatevers. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2008-07-27 16:43 |