Date : 15/08/2006
KUN0052 4 GEN 0334 FRANCE /AFP -NCH9
MIL-AFGHANISTAN-UNREST
Senior police officer among 10 dead in Afghanistan
KABUL, Aug 15 (KUNA) -- Ten people, including six policemen, three Taliban
and a suspected al-Qaeda member, have been killed as violence raged in
different parts of Afghanistan on Tuesday.
The six policemen killed by Taliban also included a district chief of the
police department. They were ambushed by Taliban fighters as the officer was
returning from his native district of Gulistan to provincial capital of
Afghanistan's western Farah province. Four other policemen suffered injuries
in the ambush, officials said. But Taliban spokesman Yousuf Ahmadi said eight
police personnel, including the officer, had been killed in the attack.
In the southeastern Khowst province, the US forces conducted raid on house,
allegedly used by al-Qaeda elements for carrying out attacks against Afghan
and coalition forces.
Coalition's spokesman Colonel Thomas Collins said 13 people surrendered as
the soldiers surrounded the compound and challenged the inmates to come out.
However, one man, disguised as woman, resisted and was shot dead by the
soldiers.
The spokesman said large number of arms, ammunitions and explosives were
recovered from the compound where some 60 women and children were also kept by
the militants. The spokesman said the terrorists were using the innocent
civilians as human shield.
In Helmand, the worst insurgency-hit province in Afghanistan, officials
claimed they had killed three Taliban fighters following a swoop on in the
Garamser area.
Police chief of the province Nabi Mulakhail said the Taliban were
proceeding towards the centre of Garamser district to capture the offices. He
said the police ambushed them and in the ensuing fight, three were killed
while the rest managed to flee.
About a month back, the militia had forcefully occupied the district from
Afghan police; however, they later retreated in face of severe bombardment
from the coalition planes. (end)
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KUNA 151621 Aug 06NNNN