Troops Kill Insurgents in Southern Afghanistan

American Forces Press Service

Sept. 29, 2008 - Coalition and Afghan forces killed several insurgents during weekend patrols in southern Afghanistan, military officials reported. Insurgents have fired on coalition and Afghan troops in the past three days of patrols through Helmand, Kandahar and Zabol provinces, officials said. No coalition or Afghan casualties were reported from the engagements.

The troops killed an undetermined number of insurgents yesterday after being fired upon while searching a remote compound in Kandahar province's Maywand district where insurgent activities were suspected, officials said. During the search, soldiers saw a group of insurgents placing a homemade bomb alongside a road. The troops fired on the insurgents, killing two.

Coalition and Afghan forces then received small-arms fire from a nearby fighting position. They returned fire on the enemy position, killing one attacker, officials said.

A cache of more than 1,000 small-arms rounds was confiscated during the search.

On Sept. 27, Afghan and coalition forces killed several insurgents during a security patrol in Helmand province's Nahr Surkh district. Insurgents engaged the patrol with small-arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades. Coalition and Afghan troops fired back with small arms and heavy weapons, killing several insurgents.

During a Sept. 26 security patrol in Zabul province's Arghandab district, coalition and Afghan forces responded to insurgent small-arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades with small arms and heavy weapons, killing two insurgents.

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