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At Least Seven Taleban Killed By US Bombing in Afghanistan

Posted on: Friday, 15 July 2005, 12:00 CDT

Text of report by Pakistan-based Afghan Islamic Press news agency

Peshawar, 15 July: Seven Taleban were killed last night as a result of an attack by US aircraft near the Pakistani border. Taleban spokesman Mofti Latifollah Hakimi told Afghan Islamic Press this afternoon: "The Taleban attacked a US base in the Ghonzay area, near the Lowara region of Paktia Province, last night, as a result of which a number of Americans were killed." Hakimi added: "As the Taleban were returning to their bases after the operation, US aircraft attacked them and seven Taleban were killed."

A Taleban spokesman in southern Afghanistan, Mullah Mahmud, confirmed this incident and told Afghan Islamic Press: "One Taleban member was killed in the fighting and the Taleban were carrying their dead comrade in a car when they were subjected to an attack by US aircraft. As a result, in addition to the one dead Taleban, seven Taleban were killed, making a total of eight Taleban killed." He also said it was possible that some other people might have also been killed as a result of the US bombing at the Afghanistan- Pakistan border. These people are not Taleban, but are local tribal Wazirs, who are known as Mada Khel Wazirs.

Hakimi had reported fighting in the Ghonzay area yesterday, too. And today Mofti Latifollah Hakimi told Afghan Islamic Press that the Taleban also attacked the same area for a second day running. It was in retaliation for this that the US aircraft attacked the Taleban.

A spokesman for the Pakistani army, Brig-Gen. Shaukat Sultan, today reported the killing of 24 Taleban and Al-Qa'idah men in the area.

Source: BBC Monitoring South Asia

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