VOA News
20 Jul 2003, 18:03 UTC
The U.S. military says coalition forces in southeastern Afghanistan have killed about 24 suspected Taleban militants in fighting near the Pakistani border.
A military spokesman in the Afghan capital said the fighting occurred Saturday, after a U.S. convoy came under attack near the town of Spin Boldak.
Lieutenant Colonel Douglas Lefforge said five of the attackers were killed by coalition ground troops, while U.S. attack helicopters killed about 19 others who attempted to flee into surrounding hills.
Separately late Saturday, Afghan officials say U.S. aircraft struck suspected Taleban positions near Spin Boldak, after guerrillas attacked a government checkpoint. There are conflicting reports about casualties.
The Associated Press said no government soldiers were hurt in the battle. But Reuters news agency quotes a local government commissioner as saying two government soldiers were killed in the attack.
Reuters also quotes a Taleban official who claims 20 government soldiers were killed in the fighting, which he said involved about 200 guerrillas.
In other action, four coalition soldiers from Italy were reported slightly wounded in Paktia provincial town of Gardez Sunday, in a rocket attack on their convoy.
Some information for this report provided by AFP and Reuters.
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