Troops in Afghanistan Kill Seven Militants, Detain One

American Forces Press Service

May 19, 2009 - Coalition and Afghan forces killed seven militants and detained another during operations in Afghanistan over the past two days, military officials said. In a joint operation this morning, militants fired small-arms, machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades at combined forces as they searched an area in Helmand province thought to be an insurgent hub.

Coalition air support responded to requests from the ground forces, destroying the enemy fighting positions and killing five militants. In a dramatic turn, two men wearing suicide vests approached coalition forces during the firefight. A coalition member shot one of the men, causing his suicide vest to detonate, killing them both.

Also during the battle, troops shot and wounded the driver of a vehicle as he sped toward the coalition security perimeter. The driver failed to halt despite repeated hand signals and warning shots, military officials said. Coalition forces netted a large amount of opium and explosives during the sweep, officials added.

In a joint operation in Khost province yesterday, troops detained a man while searching for a Haqqani terrorist leader responsible for rocket attacks and smuggling weapons, suicide bombers and foreign fighters into eastern Afghanistan.

The suspect, who was not the targeted network leader, was detained for further questioning, officials said.

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