Two NATO Troops, 5 Afghans Killed In Night Raid

Source: NYT

KULANGAR, Afghanistan (Reuters) - Two NATO service members and five Afghans described by the alliance as insurgents were killed in a gunbattle during a pre-dawn swoop on a house on Friday, prompting angry villagers to demonstrate in protest.

The international force said the dead Afghans were all insurgents, who had opened fire on troops as they approached a house. Villagers in the area in Logar province described the men as civilians.

So-called "night raids" on Afghan houses by foreign troops in the hours of darkness are a frequent source of friction between the Afghan government and the NATO-led force.

The U.S. and NATO commander, General Stanley McChrystal, has given instructions that night raids be carried out only as a last resort and with Afghan troops in the lead, to prevent incidents where Afghans defending their homes are mistaken for insurgents.

McChrystal has however refused to ban night raids outright, as requested by President Hamid Karzai. McChrystal's instructions say they can still be an effective and necessary tactic.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2010/04/23/world/international-uk-afghanistan-raid.html

Source: AP

NATO says 2 US soldiers killed in Afghan firefight
By AMIR SHAH, Associated Press Writer 1 hr 13 mins ago

KABUL – NATO and Afghan forces came under heavy fire while searching a compound in eastern Afghanistan, sparking a gunbattle that killed two U.S. soldiers and five insurgents, NATO said Friday.

<snip>

Pul-e-Alam is in Logar, a strategic province because it controls southern land routes into Kabul, allowing weapons, explosives and fighters to move into the capital.

The protesters in Pul-e-Alam denounced the military operation, shouting "Death to America!" and "Down with the government," according to Bashir, a village elder who goes by just one name.

Later, protesters blocked a road and ordered a truck driver to flee before stoning the vehicle and burning it, witnesses said. Bashir said the truck was believed to be carrying logistical equipment for coalition troops.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100423/ap_on_re_as/as_afghanistan

:sarcasm:

Well the military industrial complex is happy at least

sigh :crazy:

Asked how he would get out of Afghanistan if he were president, McGovern said: “I would say to the Afghan people that ‘we’ve been here for eight years, and we’ve come to the conclusion we can’t resolve your problems. You’ve got the Taliban, you may have al-Qaida, but—our soldiers have fought, died bravely—but it’s my conclusion, as president of the United States, that we can’t resolve the problems here. We’ll do what we can to help you, but we can’t do it with our military forces. As a matter of fact, while we’ve been here, the Taliban have grown stronger, and we don’t know where al-Qaida is—we think they’re in Pakistan—but having our troops in Afghanistan is not going to help that. So it’s our judgment that the best thing for us, and maybe for you, is for you to take over the handling of your own problems.” ... http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/20091103_mcgovern_get_out_of_afghanistan/

...was the NYT bothered to include the villagers' claim that no one killed was a militant.

NATO from time to time notes/admits/whatever they killed some civilians. But I've noticed the village elders always say they're all civilians, even when proved otherwise later.

Anyhow, interesting to me NYT mentioned it.

NEWS RELEASE
ISAF Joint Command - Afghanistan

2010-04-CA-066
For Immediate Release

KABUL, Afghanistan (April 23) - During a joint Afghan-International security force operation in Logar province last night, the combined force killed five insurgents after receiving heavy and sustained gunfire from a compound.

The joint security force went to a compound in Qal'eh ye Seyyedan, in the Pul-e Alam district after intelligence indicated insurgent activity. As the combined force approached the compound they began receiving hostile fire from different points including heavy machine gun fire. The security force returned fire and maneuvered through the compound buildings. The buildings were barricaded and the force began exchanging gunfire with the personnel inside.

A search of the compound by the security force found multiple automatic rifles, armor piercing rounds, IED materials, and blasting caps. A Taliban suicide attack commander, with ties to the Haqqani network, was killed in the firefight, along with four other insurgents.

Two US service members subsequently died of their wounds suffered in this firefight.

No civilians were reported harmed in the operation.

...http://www.isaf.nato.int/en/article/isaf-releases/afghan-international-security-force-operation-in-logar-province.html
*

I don't believe them.

Let's withdraw & moot the point.

Unfortunately the five-sided Puzzle Palace doesn't tell us that info.

It's been long enough for someone besides you to claim they weren't militants. :eyes:

I thought they finally figured out that such tactics work against them in the long run... :/