Posted on 03/18/2002 12:46:54 PM PST by No Truce With Kings
Allies strike enemy convoy
Sunday attack kills 16
03/18/2002
WASHINGTON - U.S. Army Special Forces soldiers attacked a convoy of three vehicles believed to be trying to ferry al-Qaeda fighters out of the Shah-e-Kot Valley in eastern Afghanistana, two U.S. military officers said Monday.
The attack on Sunday killed 16 enemy fighters and wounded one, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity. One person was detained. There were no American casualties, the officials said.
Later, a separate U.S.-led operation in that area resulted in the capturing of an unknown number of suspected al-Qaeda fighters, one officer said. No Americans were wounded in that engagement, either, but the officer said he did not immediately have other details.
In the first incident, the three-vehicle convoy was attacked by Army Special Forces and did not return fire, one officer said. He said all 16 were believed to be al-Qaeda fighters and were armed with grenades and other weapons.
It was not clear whether any senior-level al-Qaeda were among the casualties.
The vehicles were attacked about 70 miles south of Gardez in Paktia province. They apparently were trying to escape the area where more than 2,000 U.S., Afghan and allied troops assaulted hundreds of al-Qaeda fighters over a two-week period. That assault, called Operation Anaconda, was declared a major success Monday by Gen. Tommy Franks, the U.S. commander of forces in Afghanistan.
In Sunday's attack, the U.S. Special Forces soldiers attacked the three-vehicle convoy and then approached a fourth vehicle that was traveling some distance away. The fourth vehicle was not attacked because it apparently carried noncombatants, the officials said.
In a news conference at Bagram air base, Franks told reporters he could not discuss the next stage in the fight against al-Qaeda and Taliban holdouts but said, "I believe that future operations may well be the size of Anaconda."
In recent days, coalition forces have examined 30 caves, finding ammunition, clothing, supplies and sensitive documents, said Capt. Steven O'Connor, spokesman for the 10th Mountain Division.
At the Pentagon, spokeswoman Victoria Clarke said Anaconda was very successful and was winding down. She said there was no evidence that large numbers of al-Qaeda had managed to escape that area, although she acknowledged it was likely that some did.
We may not have gotten all of them, but looks like we are mopping up those that got away.
After all the media circus over Cuba, these prisoners will probably be handed over to the friendly Afghans for disposal.
NOTE to our guys:
When you bury this garbage don't forget to have the courtesy to drop in a chunk of SpamTM
The third contained family members that were allowed to go on their way...
Talk about surgical.
Of course, those spared will tell horror stories of the murder of defenseless civilians once they get to Pakistan.
Rack 'em and stack 'em, boys!
Oops. It was the last mistake they ever made. And yes, we'll hear sob stories later about dead children littering the landscape and the shooting of tottering old men. And of course Amnesty International will start their whining.
Allah strikes enemy convoy
No virgins for this bunch. They only get the virgins if they take at least one infidel with them.
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