Airstrike Targeting Taliban Leader Kills Him, 10 Others in Southern Afghanistan

ABC News ^ | Feb 14, 2007 | NOOR KHAN

[mdittmar]

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan Feb 14, 2007 (AP)— A NATO airstrike early Wednesday destroyed a compound housing a Taliban leader blamed for a wave of violence across southern Afghanistan, killing him and at least 10 others, NATO said.

NATO said the slain Taliban chief was linked to an uprising in the nearby town of Musa Qala, which the Taliban overran Feb. 1, and an attack Tuesday against a dam in nearby Kajaki.

"We have removed yet another Taliban enemy leader who will no longer threaten the peace and security of the Afghan people and their future," said Lt. Col. Angela Billings, a spokeswoman for NATO's International Security Assistance Force.

The airstrike, which hit a compound in a small village outside Musa Qala, killed 11 Taliban fighters, NATO said.

Provincial Police Chief Ghulam Nabi Malakhail said nine fighters were killed. Wali Mohammad, a Musa Qala resident, said by telephone that a total of 20 people were killed in the strike. There was no way to independently verify the number at the remote site.

Malakhail said he had no reports of civilian casualties, but Abdul Ali, a tribal elder, said some family members who lived at the compound were also killed. But NATO said there was no evidence that any civilians had died, and that observers saw the bodies of 11 "military-age males" pulled out of the compound, but no women or children.

"ISAF takes allegations of civilian casualties very seriously and we do everything in our power to prevent them. But in this morning's attack, we remain confident that only enemy forces were killed," said spokesman Col. Tom Collins.

[dighton]

A pity about those dead palms.

;-)

[gulfcoast6]

At a wedding at that, huh?

[msnimje]

They're trying to kill these palm trees!!

[sure_fine]

in the Most Holy part of town

[gulfcoast6]

on a full moon lit night (unfair of course)

[ASOC]

"Frisco 22 this is Walleye, you are cleared hot!"

"Lasing, Lasing, Lasing"

(Large sound drowns out comms)

"Frisco 22, second pass not needed"

"Roger Walleye, looks like Miller time"

If only we could get some details..A/C and unit, so on.

[skinkinthegrass]

A pity about those dead palms....Oh! Now the "Greenies", are going to be pissed. :D
....the move, the merrier.

[reagan_fanatic]

We have removed yet another Taliban enemy leader who will no longer threaten the peace and security of the Afghan people and their future," said Lt. Col. Angela Billings


"Excellent!"

[TexanToTheCore]

My word, there is only one piece of wall or roof that is 10 feet long. Impressive.

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

Plus they had to make sure the stuffed animals the Taliban added to the site for the media's benefit weren't new this time.

[omega4179]

You beat me to it, I love those things.

[Issaquahking]

It's to bad we don't "tag" a few greenies now and then, the world might be a more "civilzed place" if we did. They could be considered part of the "loss factor" in part of the war on drugs.

[OldFriend]

Waiting to report that it was a nursery school.

[b4its2late]

We got to hope Amawhackjob in Iran sees one of these as it hits his veranda.........

[Recovering Hermit]

I love good news. Thanks.

[Brit1]

And I bet they were all HIV positive as well

[Recovering Hermit]

Oh, and I hope it hurt like hell.

[Live free or die]

Getting married too I bet!!!

[Suzy Quzy]

YEAH!!!!