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US-led forces kill three suspected Taliban in Afghanistan
Bagram air base, July 31: US-led forces have killed up to three suspected Taliban who were planning to attack a coalition base in northeast Afghanistan, a US military spokesman said today.
Bagram air base, July 31: US-led forces have killed up to three suspected Taliban who were planning to attack a coalition base in northeast Afghanistan, a US
military spokesman said today.
"Three enemy personnel were believed killed after a 10-man enemy element was observed in the vicinity of the fire base at Asadabad last night," Lieutenant Colonel Douglas Lefforge told reporters at Bagram air base 50 kilometres north of Kabul.
"The fire base fired 120mm mortar illumination rounds as a warning, then fired high explosive rounds, killing the estimated three personnel," he said.
Lefforge said that there were no coalition casualties and the rest of the would-be attackers escaped after the incident in Kunar province 180 kilometres northeast of Kabul near the Pakistan border.
"A patrol is on the ground in the area of the enemy sighting to investigate," he said.
"They were approaching the fire base in an aggressive manner, in a manner that is associated with an attack," Lefforge said, adding however that they did not fire.
Lefforge was unable to say who the people were but similar attacks have been blamed on Taliban and al-Qaeda holdouts.
Some 20 months after the fall of the Taliban, members of the ousted militia and their al-Qaeda allies continue to launch regular attacks on foreign and pro-government targets. Six Afghan soldiers have been killed by suspected Taliban since Sunday.
Bureau Report
"The fire base fired 120mm mortar illumination rounds as a warning, then fired high explosive rounds, killing the estimated three personnel," he said.
Lefforge said that there were no coalition casualties and the rest of the would-be attackers escaped after the incident in Kunar province 180 kilometres northeast of Kabul near the Pakistan border.
"A patrol is on the ground in the area of the enemy sighting to investigate," he said.
"They were approaching the fire base in an aggressive manner, in a manner that is associated with an attack," Lefforge said, adding however that they did not fire.
Lefforge was unable to say who the people were but similar attacks have been blamed on Taliban and al-Qaeda holdouts.
Some 20 months after the fall of the Taliban, members of the ousted militia and their al-Qaeda allies continue to launch regular attacks on foreign and pro-government targets. Six Afghan soldiers have been killed by suspected Taliban since Sunday.
Bureau Report