United States-led coalition troops and Afghan security forces destroyed an ”extremist safe haven” and killed more than 40 militants on Monday in southern Afghanistan, the coalition said.
An Afghan soldier was also killed and three coalition troops wounded in the operation in troubled Uruzgan province, it said in a statement.
”Afghan national security forces and coalition troops conducted a raid on a known extremist compound July 10, killing more than 40 extremists in the Tarin Kowt district of Uruzgan province,” it said.
A purported Taliban spokesperson confirmed the fighting but said only five Taliban were killed.
About 50 civilians were also killed in coalition bombing, Yousuf Ahmadi said. The coalition said it had no reports of Afghan civilians being hurt. The Taliban often issues exaggerated casualty figures to the media.
The security forces had opened fire on the rebels hiding in a compound in a village near the Uruzgan capital Tarin Kowt after they had come under attack with small-arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades, the statement said.
”The enemy frequently used the compound as a sanctuary to conduct operations against local Afghans, government officials and coalition forces,” it said.
Uruzgan, where about 1 400 Dutch troops are setting up, is one of the four provinces in southern Afghanistan covered by the biggest coalition and Afghan operation against the Taliban since their hard-line regime was toppled in 2001.
Operation Mountain Thrust was launched in mid-May weeks after a surge in attacks by the Taliban, whom military officials admit are better organised and more determined than ever, despite international attempts to end their insurgency.
Since then about 800 people, mostly rebels, have been killed in the violence, which is mainly in areas along the Pakistani border.
There was intense fighting as part of the operation in southern Kandahar province at the weekend when about 15 Taliban were killed, the coalition has said.
A Canadian soldier also died in combat, becoming the 17th soldier from that country to lose his life in action in Afghanistan.
”Afghan and coalition forces continue to make steady progress in eliminating extremists throughout southern Afghanistan, killing or capturing large numbers of enemy fighters and advancing progress, peace and economic development to the people of Afghanistan,” the coalition statement said. — AFP
