Troops in Afghanistan Kill, Detain Militants, Seize Weapons

American Forces Press Service

July 6, 2008 - Coalition and Afghan forces killed more than a dozen enemy fighters, captured two others and seized a weapons cache in Afghanistan the past three days, military officials said. Combined forces killed an unknown number of militants yesterday in a precision airstrike aimed at a large group of enemy fighters on a mountain range in the Deh Bala district of Nangarhar province.

During operations in Afghanistan July 4, troops killed more than a dozen militants following an attack on a combat outpost in Nuristan province.

Troops at the outpost observed militants firing at coalition positions. Ground forces defended themselves with small arms-fire as the insurgents entered two vehicles and fled.

Coalition attack helicopters destroyed the vehicles, killing more than a dozen enemy fighters. U.S. military officials said they are working with Afghan officials to investigate allegations of civilian casualties resulting from the airstrike.

Elsewhere in Afghanistan July 4, coalition forces killed several militants and detained two others during operation in the Ghazni province.

As they searched several dwellings in the Jaghatu district for a militant leader responsible for attacks on Afghan and coalition forces, troops engaged and killed several enemy fighters, military officials said.

Forces also discovered and confiscated a cache of weapons and ammunition on site.
(Compiled from Combined Joint Task Force-101 news releases.)