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Air strikes kill 60 Taliban
in Afghanistan
Reuters
Tuesday May 15, 2007
Sixty Taliban fighters including three commanders were killed in
overnight air strikes on two rebel bases in the southern Afghan
province of Kandahar, a provincial police chief said on Tuesday.
A spokesman for the Afghan Defense Ministry gave a lower death
toll. "I can confirm only 11 dead, including a Taliban commander,"
Zahir Azimi said.
The joint operation involving foreign and Afghan security forces
took place in the Zharai district of Kandahar, police chief Esmatullah
Alizai told Reuters. He said there were no casualties among the
foreign or Afghan forces.
A U.S. military spokesman said he was aware of the reports and
was checking them. NATO said it was not aware of any involvement
in such an operation.
Violence has surged in Afghanistan in recent weeks after the traditional
winter lull. Hundreds have been killed already this year after more
than 4,000 people died last year.
In the latest attack, a roadside bomb killed seven Afghan soldiers
in the eastern province of Nuristan on Monday, the defense ministry
said. Four soldiers were missing after the blast.
The Taliban, who lost their top field commander in a clash at the
weekend, could not be contacted immediately for comment about their
reported losses in Kandahar.
Mullah Dadullah was killed in a battle with U.S.-led forces in
what was seen as the most serious blow to the Taliban since the
insurgency began.
Afghans have protested the deaths of civilians in air strikes by
the U.S.-led coalition.
(Additional reporting by Sayed Salahuddin in KABUL)
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