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Dozen Talibs Titzup
 (KUNA) -- At least a dozen Taliban fighters have been killed while seven coalition and two Afghan soldiers suffered injuries in clashes in southern Afghanistan, military officials said on Saturday. The fighting took place in Kandahar and Zabul provinces, both hotbed for insurgency and strongholds of the ousted Taliban militia. Coaltion forces' spokesperson in Kandahar Captain Julie Roberge said five Taliban insurgents were killed in a clash in the Shajoy district of Zabul province. During the clash, five coalition soldiers suffered injuries, said the spokesperson. In another clash in the Panjwai district of the neighbouring Kandahar, she said five more armed fighters were gunned down by their forces.In the exchange of fire, two coalition and two Afghan army soldiers sustained injuries. Confirming the overnight fighting in the area, police chief of Zabul province said two more Taliban were killed by their forces in the same district. But the student militia rejected the claims made by Afghan and coalition forces. Purported spokesman Yousuf Ahmadi said none of their fighters was killed. Instead, he said they had inflicted heavy losses on coalition in Shajoy. The southern provinces are scene to sporadic clashes between Taliban and coalition and Afghan forces since the fall of summer this year. A day earlier, Taliban had claimed they were in control of two districts of the neighbouring Helmand province. However, their claim was rejected by the provincial officials as well as the Interior Ministry in Kabul. Both Taliban and Afghan forces lodge claims regarding inflicting casualties on their opponents in fighting and clashes in the troubled parts of Afghanistan.
Posted by: Fred 2006-07-09 |
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