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Afghanistan

Afghanistan says more than 50 Taliban killed

2007-12-13

More than 50 Taliban were killed in two days of intense clashes in southern Afghanistan after the rebels were pushed out of a nearby stronghold, the defence ministry said Wednesday.

The fighting took place in a district of Helmand province neighbouring Musa Qala, where the Afghan army mounted a campaign that on Monday drove out Taliban rebels who had been entrenched there for 10 months. The terrorists, after being defeated in Musa Qala, attempted to put pressure on Sangin district. During 48 hours of intense clashes around Sangin, over 50 terrorists have been killed, the ministry said in a statement. It said three of the dead were foreign nationals, a reference to Al Qaeda-linked foreign fighters who are said to be helping the Taliban in their insurgency against the government and its mainly Western allies. Three Taliban commanders were also killed in the clashes, in which the air force of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) also took part, it said. No civilians or soldiers were reported killed.

The Taliban also suffered big casualties during battles in Musa Qala, the ministry said, without giving figures.

Posted by:Fred

#5 Any ideas how God could be on the side of the infidels so often?

That's easy, they lie.

Posted by: Redneck Jim 2007-12-13 14:10

#4 I'd have been much happier with 2/3 of them killed, glenmore. The more casualties the better. I'd also like any not killed to have been wounded, with little in the way of medical attention.

Posted by: Old Patriot 2007-12-13 13:51

#3 The wife an i were talking along the same lines as glenmore yesterday... we knew there had to be a series of aambushes set as the commanders of the battle plane could not be so inept to leave a retreat open without expecting the taliturbans to use it..

good shooting boys

Posted by: Abu do you love 2007-12-13 11:22

#2 Afghan forces had US and British assistance. No doubt they would have helped plan a major action like this, and even an officer would have anticipated a Taliban retreat and left an attractive opening for it, and set up a kill zone along it.
The Taliban had boasted of over 2000 fighters in MQ, though informed guesses indicated more like 200 (which is consistent with the force that was needed to overcome them). Reports of a dozen or two killed in MQ and these 50 in the retreat also seem reasonable, based on results of other actions this year and uncontested air support. If so, then the enemy had roughly 1/3 of its force killed. That can't be good for morale or recruitment.

Posted by: Glenmore 2007-12-13 07:52

#1 Any ideas how God could be on the side of the infidels so often?

Posted by: gorb 2007-12-13 01:12

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