Monday, June 01, 2009

Troops in Afghanistan Kill 17 Militants

American Forces Press Service

June 1, 2009 - Coalition and Afghan forces killed 17 militants, including several high-ranking Taliban members, in operations in Afghanistan over the past five days, military officials said. Afghan National Police and coalition forces killed five armed militants in the Andar district of Ghazni province yesterday.

Afghan police officers came under attack from small-arms, machine-gun and rocket-propelled-grenade fire while patrolling an area known for rampant militant activity. While under fire, police officers alerted a joint Afghan police and coalition forces element, which joined in the firefight.

Ground troops called in air strikes after determining there were no civilians in the area, military officials said. The aerial attack killed five.

In a separate operation in the Shaheed Hasas district of Oruzgan province yesterday, Afghan police officers and coalition forces killed two militants after enemy fighters attacked two police checkpoints. After the firefight, the joint force searched the area and confiscated several weapons with ammunition.

During two operations in Farah province conducted yesterday and May 28, combined forces killed four Taliban commanders and eight fighters. Among the Taliban leaders killed was one responsible for commanding about 50 enemy fighters and another who oversaw Taliban logistics and weapons trafficking with ties to top-ranking officials, military officials said.

Following one of the raids, the combined forces seized firearms, explosives, ammunition and other military equipment.

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

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