Posted on 08/01/2002 7:12:47 PM PDT by knighthawk
More than 10 US soldiers have been killed a new Mujahideen operation at a remote air base south of Kandahar.
The attack was carried out on Monday morning and although US troops conducted extensive search operations in Kandahar, no clues regarding the attackers or their whereabouts have been found.
Sources say that the airport that was attacked is located in a desert region south of Kandahar and was built there by money from Arab sheikhs due to its remoteness.
The Americans made it a permanent base because they believed it to be well protected and out of the reach of the Mujahideen.
The ferocity and unexpectedness of the attack caused great panic and chaos among US ranks. Although no bodies of the attackers have been found, and all are believed to have escaped, some experts say that a suicide operation may have preceded the main operation.
Reliable sources report that six helicopter gunships and one battle tank were destroyed. Although the exact number of US casualties is not known, it is confirmed that at least 10 soldiers were killed in the attack. The remaining troops from the airport base were immediately moved to Spin Boldak. A further 400 troops in a convoy of nearly 100 vehicles including Armoured Personnel Carriers and tanks have also arrived there. It was initially thought the arrival of US troops in such large numbers was to ensure the safety of traders harassed by highway robbers.
------------ Meanwhile in the Shah-e-Kot region of the Gardez province soldiers of the Taliban and Al-Qaida ambushed coalition troops in the mountains during a clean-up operation of the area.
Elsewhere, a search operation is still in progress for four US commandos kidnapped from Tani-ul-Sawai last Thursday. Coalition troops have arrested an Imam of a local mosque, Moulvi Noor Muhammad, and he is being interrogated regarding the kidnapping.
Also they brought down a space shuttle attempting to install a spying satelite.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.