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| Afghanistan |
| 27 Taliban militants slain in south Afghanistan |
| 2009-09-16 |
| [Iran Press TV Latest] At least 27 Taliban insurgents have reportedly lost their lives in fighting against NATO forces and Afghan troops in the restive southern province of Kandahar. Kandahar's deputy police chief, Mohammad Shah Khan, said that the clashes occurred in the Zhari district as part of a large-scale operation to mop up militant strongholds in the province, where the Taliban have a strong presence. "During the operation Monday in Ashobo area, where the air force was also used, 27 armed opposition were killed. It was a Taliban hideout," he stated. It seems that southern Afghanistan's Kandahar province is slipping back under Taliban control. The slow and quiet fall of Kandahar poses a complex new challenge for the NATO effort to stabilize Afghanistan. Thousands of US and Canadian troops are deployed throughout the province, which includes a major NATO base. NATO officials say the US troop buildup in Afghanistan will enable them to send more troops to Kandahar. US President Barack Obama's administration has pledged to send another 4,000 troops to Afghanistan in addition to the 17,000 extra troops dispatched to the war-torn country earlier in the year. There are currently around 100,000 US and NATO troops in Afghanistan. |
| Posted by:Fred |