14 Afghan and US Soldiers Killed in Attacks
- Author: Daily Times
- Publish date:21/07/2003
- Section:WORLD HEADLINES
CHAMAN: The Taliban on Sunday said they had killed 14 Afghan and American soldiers in two guerilla attacks in Kandahar, reports reaching here from across the border said.
The Taliban men attacked the commandos who were returning to Kandahar. The attacks were made in the Mandi Saar and Khushal areas. But the Afghan authorities refused to comment on the attacks.
Meanwhile, Afghan forces seized 300 rocket-propelled grenades and dozens of anti-tank mines on Sunday in a raid on a Taliban hideout near the Pakistan border, an Afghan commander said.
The weapons had been brought to the suspected rebel training camp, 10 kilometres from the southern border town of Spin Boldak, for attacks on government and the US-led forces, said the commander, who did not want to be identified. Taliban fighters guarding the camp escaped the government swoop, he said.
The haul included 300 rocket-propelled grenades, dozens of anti-tank mines, 20 AK-47 rifles and various types of ammunition and explosives. The weapons were seized from a Taliban group led by a commander named Hafiz Rahim, the commander said.
Four Taliban fighters had ambushed a police patrol to the south of Kandahar city, a provincial security official said. The southern city was the Taliban powerbase during their rule.
Two policemen, including the patrol commander, were wounded but the gunmen escaped after an hour-long battle, the official said.
A suspected rocket attack also took place near the Bagram air base, post for the US-led forces in Afghanistan, on Saturday but there were no casualties or damage, the US military officials said. A blast also took place at a United Nations refugee transit centre in the eastern city of Jalalabad on Saturday but caused no injuries.
Photo by AP