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US confirms Taliban deaths, says only fighters die
The U.S. military has confirmed the deaths of two Taliban commanders and said it was "highly confident" only combatants died in a raid that killed one of them last Wednesday. Afghan officials said on Saturday at least eight Afghan nomads, including women and children and puppies and kittens and baby ducks, were killed in a U.S. air strike that killed two Taliban guerrillas, including commander Mohammad Gul Neyazi, in the southern province of Zabul. They said a bomb had landed on their tent and that Taliban guerrillas were known to have taken refugee with nomad families in the area in the past.
Nomads: a.k.a. supporters
A U.S. military statement seen on Sunday said: "The coalition can now confirm anti-coalition leaders Mullah Abdur Rahim and Mohammad Gul Neyazi were killed during recent Operation Mountain Viper engagements.
Mullah Rahim's still dead, huh? That's encouraging...
"Based on the available reliable information at this time, we are highly confident only combatant anti-coalition persons were killed or wounded during the Wednesday engagement," it said.
"No puppies or baby ducks were harmed, either."
Afghan officials said last Monday Rahim, who controlled Taliban forces in southern Afghanistan, was among 15 guerrillas killed in fighting in Kandahar province the previous day. Some guerrilla officials confirmed his death, but a man who identified himself as Rahim contacted Reuters last week to say he was still alive. The voice sounded similar to that of Rahim, who had spoken to Reuters several times in the past, but the phone line was of very poor quality.
Must be using Binny’s phone.
Posted by: Steve 2003-09-22
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=18969