Insurgents Target Afghan Medical Assistance Teams

American Forces Press Service

April 15, 2008 - Insurgents attacked a medical outreach team of Afghan National Army and coalition forces in the Sanguin district of Afghanistan's Helmand province April 12, military officials reported. The insurgents attacked the team with rocket-propelled grenades and small-arms fire while medics were providing care to local citizens outside a coalition base. There were no reports of civilian or coalition casualties.

Elsewhere in southern Afghanistan, two other medical outreach missions were conducted without incident. Near the village of Shamshad in Oruzgan province, medics treated about 110 people. A team treated more than 130 Afghans in the Gereshk district of Helmand province.

In other recent operations in Afghanistan:

-- Twelve suspected militants were detained during a coalition forces operation to disrupt Taliban operations in Helmand province April 12. Coalition forces searched in Garm Seer district targeting a known Taliban commander and weapons smuggler. During the course of their search, they detained 12 individuals with suspected links to the targeted Taliban commander and Taliban weapons-smuggling operations. Several small- caliber weapons and rocket-propelled grenades were also found and removed.

-- Several insurgents on motorcycles were killed April 12 after they fired on forces in Zabul province.

-- Afghan National Army and coalition forces discovered bomb-making materials while clearing a suspected insurgent compound in Khas Oruzgan, in Oruzgan province, April 12. Coalition forces called in an air strike to destroy the bomb-making compound after evacuating all civilians from the immediate area.

-- Several insurgents were killed by Afghan National Army and coalition forces during a patrol April 10 near Aminah Kalay, in Zabul province. A group of insurgents tried to ambush the patrol.

(Compiled from Combined Joint Task Force 101 news releases.)