More Than 100 Die in NATO-Taliban Battle

Source: Associated Press

More Than 100 Die in NATO-Taliban Battle

By NOOR KHAN (Associated Press Writer)
From Associated Press
June 18, 2007 2:23 PM EDT
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - More than 100 people, including militants, civilians and police, have died in three days of fierce clashes between NATO forces and Taliban fighters in southern Afghanistan, Afghan officials said Monday.

Some preliminary estimates of the death toll exceeded 200 people, but precise numbers were not immediately available because of the continued fighting in Uruzgan province.

In eastern Afghanistan, U.S.-led coalition jets bombed a compound suspected of housing al-Qaida militants, killing seven boys and several insurgents, officials said.

A senior Afghan Defense Ministry official has said that civilian deaths are the main concern of Afghans, and President Hamid Karzai has repeatedly called for foreign troops to do more to prevent civilian casualties.

- snip -

An official close to the Uruzgan governor, who asked not to be identified when talking about preliminary estimates, said 70 to 75 civilians had been killed or wounded, while more than 100 Taliban and more than 35 police had been killed.


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Lord God Bush said "the Taliban is no more."

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/06/20030619-2.html