U.S. troops killed five suspected Taliban who ambushed their patrol in southern Afghanistan, an Afghan official said Thursday, but an American military official said she was unaware of such a clash. Khalid Pashtun, spokesman for the provincial government of Kandahar, said the patrol was attacked Wednesday near Khakrez. At least 10 militants opened fire on an American convoy with AK-47 assault rifles, but were no match for their target, Pashtun told The Associated Press. "Five Taliban were killed in the gun battle and the other five are in American custody," Pashtun said. "None of the Americans was hurt." Two of the five people captured after the botched ambush were local Taliban commanders Abdul Halal and Abdul Shakoor, Pashtun said.
| Obviously masters of guerrilla warfare... |
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