33 killed in Afghanistan battle
Afghan and Nato forces clashed with Taliban militants in a dangerous southern region overnight, leaving 33 Afghanis dead, the provincial governor said today.
Joint forces carried out the night-time operation in the Zhari district of Kandahar, said provincial governor Asadullah Khalid. Four other suspected militants were arrested, including three wounded in the battle. There were no casualties among Afghan or Nato forces, he said.
Zhari was the site of one of Nato’s largest-ever operations last autumn and remains a volatile region.
Seven Afghan police died in a roadside bomb explosion in Zhari yesterday.
Also, US-led coalition troops killed a suspected militant and detained two others during an operation in eastern Afghanistan.
The suspected militant was shot as coalition troops were entering a compound suspected of housing militants in the Zana Khan district of Ghazni province, a coalition statement said.
Two detainees will be questioned about “their involvement in extremist activities,” it said. The coalition did not provide further details about the operation.
In neighbouring Zabul province, Taliban militants ambushed a police patrol yesterday in the Mizan district, killing one policeman, said Ali Khail, spokesman for the Zabul governor.
A 30-minute gun battle ensued, leaving three suspected Taliban dead, he said.
