American soldier killed in south Afghanistan

AFP via Babelfish translation ^ | October 31, 2003

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An American soldier killed in the south of Afghanistan

An American soldier was killed Thursday at the time of engagements against supposed talibans Thursday in the south of Afghanistan, announced Friday the American army. A joint patrol American and Afghan soldiers intercepted "a group of 10 to 15 elements anti-coalition Thursday to approximately 35 km in the west of Deh Rawood, in the province of Oruzgan", indicated an official statement of the headquarters of the American army to Bagram, in the north of Kabul. A plane A-10 Thunderbolt and Ah-64 helicopters intervened in support for the forces on the ground which "killed an enemy combatant", adds the official statement. An Afghan soldier and a soldier of the American special forces were wounded during the combat and were transferred to Bagram. The American soldier, whose identity was not communicated, is deceased continuations of his wounds, according to the American army.

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U.S. special forces soldier dies from wounds suffered in combat in southern Afghanistan

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) -- A U.S. special forces soldier died from wounds he suffered during fighting in a southern Afghan province, the U.S. military said Friday.

Troops from the U.S.-led coalition were patrolling with Afghan militia in Helmand province Thursday when they met between 10 and 15 hostile fighters about 55 kilometers (35 miles) west of Deh Rawood in neighboring Uruzgan province, the coalition said in a statement. U.S. A-10 Thunderbolt warplanes and Apache attack helicopters were called in to reinforce the ground troops in small-arms fighting between the sides.

One "enemy" soldier was killed, and the U.S. special forces soldier and an Afghan militiaman were injured, the U.S. military said from the coalition base at Bagram, north of Kabul.

The U.S. soldier died from "wounds received in combat" after he was evacuated by helicopter to an airfield in the southern city of Kandahar, the coalition said. His identity wasn't released pending notification of next of kin.

No other details were released on the battle.

Fighting has intensified in Afghanistan over the past several months between the coalition and remnants of the ousted hard-line Taliban movement or al-Qaida, although it has mostly focused on provinces bordering Pakistan.

Last Saturday, two CIA operatives were killed after being ambushed on the border. The ambush occurred in the same area and at the same time where coalition and Afghan forces killed 18 attackers that the military said were members of al-Qaida.

Helmand province is a major opium poppy growing region in Afghanistan, although the U.N. has said production of the illegal crop is dropping off there and moving to central Afghanistan. U.S. troops have previously conducted house-to-house searches in the same area as the Thursday fighting.

Copyright 2003 The Associated Press.