Taliban capture Afghan district, kill 10 civilians
Wednesday, 20 June 2007
KABUL, Jun 19 (AFP): Afghan forces admitted Tuesday that the Taliban had captured a district in mountainous southern Afghanistan in the latest upsurge of rebels strikes that have killed scores of people.
The interior ministry announced meanwhile that 10 civilians and up to 60 Taliban were killed in days of fighting in Uruzgan province but rejected claims by locals that dozens more were killed in NATO bombing raids.
The insurgents said they captured mountainous Myanishen district in the southern province of Kandahar late Monday.
The interior ministry said Tuesday that police had left the area. "It was a temporary tactical withdrawal," ministry spokesman Zemarai Bashary told the news agency. "We plan to retake the district by launching an operation."
He dismissed a claim by the Taliban that 10 policemen were killed.
Taliban spokesman Yousuf Ahmadi told the news agency the police had fled into the mountains after being under siege for two days.
"Finally last night at 10:00 pm we totally captured the district centre," he said. The rebels were in control of the district administration offices and had taken possession of government vehicles and weapons.
The interior ministry announced meanwhile that 10 civilians and up to 60 Taliban were killed in days of fighting in Uruzgan province but rejected claims by locals that dozens more were killed in NATO bombing raids.
The insurgents said they captured mountainous Myanishen district in the southern province of Kandahar late Monday.
The interior ministry said Tuesday that police had left the area. "It was a temporary tactical withdrawal," ministry spokesman Zemarai Bashary told the news agency. "We plan to retake the district by launching an operation."
He dismissed a claim by the Taliban that 10 policemen were killed.
Taliban spokesman Yousuf Ahmadi told the news agency the police had fled into the mountains after being under siege for two days.
"Finally last night at 10:00 pm we totally captured the district centre," he said. The rebels were in control of the district administration offices and had taken possession of government vehicles and weapons.