U.S., Afghan Forces Kill Four, Detain Four

American Forces Press Service

April 20, 2009 - Coalition and Afghan forces killed at least four militants and detained four more in recent operations throughout Afghanistan, U.S. military officials reported.
Afghan and coalitions forces killed two enemy fighters during a reconnaissance patrol today in Oruzgan province's Khas Oruzgan district. The policemen and soldiers spotted the two militants setting up an ambush and armed with machine guns when they engaged them, killing both.

In Helmand province's Greshk district, Afghan police and coalition troops detained three suspected bomb makers today in a planned raid on a housing compound. The suspects allegedly are connected to Taliban commanders, supplying them with weapons and roadside bombs. The suspects also are believed to be involved in mortar, rocket and small-arms attacks on local security forces. Two AK-47 assault rifles with more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition, bomb-making materials and narcotics were seized during the search.

In Kandahar province's Maywand district, at least two armed militants were killed and another was detained April 18 by Afghan and coalition forces in an operation that targeted a senior Taliban commander allegedly connected to terrorists in Pakistan.

The troops assaulted several housing compounds in the area before being fired on by enemy fighters barricaded in a bunker. The enemy fighters refused to come out of hiding, so the U.S. commander on the ground called for precision missile strikes, destroying the enemy position. At least two enemy combatants engaged the coalition force from the bunker, but because of the collateral damage, the number of militants killed is unknown, officials said.

No Afghan or U.S. casualties were reported from these operations.

(Compiled from U.S. Forces Afghanistan news releases.)