Coalition forces kill five militants near border with Pakistan
KABUL (AFP) - Coalition forces have struck an insurgent training camp in southern
Afghanistan, killing five militants, including senior Taliban leaders, the US-led force said.
Coalition forces launched the strike late Friday in an isolated area of southern Helmand province near the border with Pakistan, the statement said Saturday.
"Among those killed were key senior leaders of the Taliban network who have conducted attacks against coalition and Afghan forces, Afghan officials and civilians," the statement said.
The suspected militants also distributed materials used to make homemade bombs, it said.
The raid on the village of Qal'a Sak yielded a large cache of weapons and two hidden fighting positions that contained explosives and heavy machine guns were destroyed, the statement said.
It stressed that only a targeted vehicle and two buildings were destroyed in the "precision strike" and there were no reports of injuries to civilians or damage to property.
Friday's strike was the latest in a spike in security force and Taliban activity that always rises as the weather warms but has been particularly intensive this year.
About 400 people, most of them suspected Taliban, have been killed in the past 10 days, according to a tally of tolls provided by Afghan and coalition forces.
Nearly 100 police, soldiers and civilians have also died.
The US-dominated force has come under pressure after around 34 civilians were killed in a major air and ground strike a week ago near the provincial capital of neighbouring Kandahar province.
President Hamid Karzai on Wednesday summoned top coalition commander Lieutenant General Karl Eikenberry for an explanation.
Karzai urged the more than 20,000-strong coalition force that has been hunting down Taliban and other extremists for more than four years in southern and eastern Afghanistan to take more care to avoid civilian casualties.
Seven civilians were killed in mid-April during a major coalition operation in the eastern province of Kunar. The coalition has said it is investigating.
It has already admitted responsibility for the killing of 17 civilians in a bombing raid in July last year in Kunar.
Afghanistan, killing five militants, including senior Taliban leaders, the US-led force said.
Coalition forces launched the strike late Friday in an isolated area of southern Helmand province near the border with Pakistan, the statement said Saturday.
"Among those killed were key senior leaders of the Taliban network who have conducted attacks against coalition and Afghan forces, Afghan officials and civilians," the statement said.
The suspected militants also distributed materials used to make homemade bombs, it said.
The raid on the village of Qal'a Sak yielded a large cache of weapons and two hidden fighting positions that contained explosives and heavy machine guns were destroyed, the statement said.
It stressed that only a targeted vehicle and two buildings were destroyed in the "precision strike" and there were no reports of injuries to civilians or damage to property.
Friday's strike was the latest in a spike in security force and Taliban activity that always rises as the weather warms but has been particularly intensive this year.
About 400 people, most of them suspected Taliban, have been killed in the past 10 days, according to a tally of tolls provided by Afghan and coalition forces.
Nearly 100 police, soldiers and civilians have also died.
The US-dominated force has come under pressure after around 34 civilians were killed in a major air and ground strike a week ago near the provincial capital of neighbouring Kandahar province.
President Hamid Karzai on Wednesday summoned top coalition commander Lieutenant General Karl Eikenberry for an explanation.
Karzai urged the more than 20,000-strong coalition force that has been hunting down Taliban and other extremists for more than four years in southern and eastern Afghanistan to take more care to avoid civilian casualties.
Seven civilians were killed in mid-April during a major coalition operation in the eastern province of Kunar. The coalition has said it is investigating.
It has already admitted responsibility for the killing of 17 civilians in a bombing raid in July last year in Kunar.
posted by Marko at 5/27/2006 08:21:00 AM
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