Posted on 07/16/2005 7:43:52 AM PDT by samsonite
NEW DELHI, July 15 - American troops killed 24 men suspected of being Taliban fighters fleeing Afghanistan into Pakistani territory, the Pakistani military said Friday, but left unclear whether American forces had crossed into Pakistani territory.
Maj. Gen. Shaukat Sultan, the Pakistani Army spokesman, said in a telephone interview from Islamabad that American-led coalition forces attacked the suspects on Thursday in the eastern Khost region of Afghanistan, prompting them to flee across the border. "They were hit by coalition forces on the Pakistan side, when they were trying to run away from the operation," General Sultan said.
American forces in Afghanistan have agreed not to conduct operations on Pakistani soil. On Friday, a Pakistani Army spokesman hedged on the question of whether they had in this operation, saying he did not know whether they had used ground or air forces. The rugged border hills are believed to be the redoubt of Al Qaeda and the forces of the Taliban, who were ousted from power in Afghanistan in late 2001.
A spokesman for the United States military in Afghanistan, Lt. Col. Jerry O'Hara, said in Kabul that American troops responded to a rocket attack with artillery and air attacks. He said he had no information about the number of casualties.
With parliamentary elections scheduled in September, violence has been steadily climbing in Afghanistan in recent weeks, with militants stepping up attacks. Two weeks ago, American forces suffered the most casualties on one mission since the Taliban were ousted when a Chinook helicopter was shot down in northeastern Kunar Province, killing 16.
24 dead goons killed. Charming story.
That's over 1700 more virgins...
And so starts a nice day at the range!
24 suspected Taliban fighters found dead
AP ^ | 7/15/5
Posted on 07/15/2005 12:59:20 PM PDT by SmithL
and Here:
U.S.-Led Forces Kill 24 Militants on Pakistan Border(Fire into Pakistan)
NY Times ^ | July 15, 2005 | REUTERS
Posted on 07/15/2005 4:03:03 PM PDT by neverdem
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