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ASSOCIATED PRESS KANDAHAR, Afghanistan -- U.S. and Afghan forces killed a regional Taliban commander in a clash that also left an American soldier and an Afghan interpreter dead, the military said Friday as violence spiraled ahead of this month's landmark elections. The Taliban commander - identified by Afghan officials as Thor Mullah Manan - was killed with another rebel fighter in a firefight Thursday with coalition and Afghan forces in Daychopan district of southern Zabul province, the U.S. military said. The military said Manan was in command of three other Taliban sub-commanders and responsible for the movement of equipment and...

U.S., Afghan Troops Kill 5 Taliban Friday, July 02, 2004 KABUL, Afghanistan — U.S. and Afghan troops traded gunfire with rebels in a mountainous Taliban (search)stronghold, killing five and capturing seven, officials said Friday. The clash occurred Wednesday near Daychopan, 190 miles southwest of the capital, Kabul (search), said Ali Khel, a spokesman for the provincial government. U.S. spokesman Maj. Rick Peat said one Afghan soldier was wounded in the clash, which broke out when a joint U.S.-Afghan patrol encountered a group of militants. He said the detained fighters were carrying rocket-propelled grenades and homemade bombs.

United States Special forces and aircraft are engaged in a massive offensive in Southeast Afghanistan in a bid to kill or capture senior Taliban leaders.Aljazeera's Afghanistan correspondant said a United States offficer was 100% sure that Taliban leaders Mullah Omar and Mullah Qahar were both surrounded in the villiage of Sarang with about 1000 Taliban fighters.The special forces have joined a major week long operation against suspected Taliban and Al Qaeda bases in the mountains of Daychopan district of Zabul province, 300 kilometeres Southwest of Kabul. Aljazeera.net has learned that the Afghan Government infantry was order to withdraw in anticipation...