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Major anti-Taliban operation concluded in Afghanistan
Bagram Air Base, July 09: US and Italian troops have concluded a four-day operation against Taliban remnants and al-Qaeda fighters in southeast Afghanistan, a US military spokesman said today.
Bagram Air Base, July 09: US and Italian troops have concluded a four-day operation against Taliban remnants and al-Qaeda fighters in southeast Afghanistan, a US military
spokesman said today.
The purpose of the July 2-6 operation was "to prevent
the re-emergence of terrorism and deny anti-coalition fighters
sanctuary," US Lieutenant Colonel Douglas Lefforge told
reporters at Bagram air base 50 kilometres north of Kabul.
Some 800 us soldiers backed by more than 500 Italian paratroops started the operation dubbed operation haven denial last week in eastern Paktika and Khost provinces.
Lefforge said the coalition forces dismantled one illegal border checkpoint and confiscated a small cache of weapons.
The operation, backed by 25 aircraft, was the biggest since the massive US-led Operation Anaconda offensive against Taliban and al-Qaeda holdouts in the mountains of neighbouring Paktia province in March 2002.
"Our business is to continue to go there as a show of force to display that we are here ... and as a show of force I think it was successful," Lefforge said.
He said some 250 vehicles were inspected and 400 people interviewed, but no one was detained during the operation.
Some 19 months after the fall of the Taliban, foreign and pro-government forces still come under regular attack from remnants of the hardline militia and their allies from Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network.
"We had some rocket attacks and anti-coalition activities around the border region of the Orgon and Shkin area north of Paktika province and also in Khost area," Lefforge said, without giving any dates. Bureau Report
Some 800 us soldiers backed by more than 500 Italian paratroops started the operation dubbed operation haven denial last week in eastern Paktika and Khost provinces.
Lefforge said the coalition forces dismantled one illegal border checkpoint and confiscated a small cache of weapons.
The operation, backed by 25 aircraft, was the biggest since the massive US-led Operation Anaconda offensive against Taliban and al-Qaeda holdouts in the mountains of neighbouring Paktia province in March 2002.
"Our business is to continue to go there as a show of force to display that we are here ... and as a show of force I think it was successful," Lefforge said.
He said some 250 vehicles were inspected and 400 people interviewed, but no one was detained during the operation.
Some 19 months after the fall of the Taliban, foreign and pro-government forces still come under regular attack from remnants of the hardline militia and their allies from Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network.
"We had some rocket attacks and anti-coalition activities around the border region of the Orgon and Shkin area north of Paktika province and also in Khost area," Lefforge said, without giving any dates. Bureau Report