9 US Soldiers Killed in Insurgent Attack in Afghanistan
An insurgent attack in Afghanistan resulted in nine US soldiers deployed there being killed, reports from the area said on July 13th. The death toll stands as among the heaviest from a single incident since allied forces first entered the country nearly seven years ago.
The attack occurred in Kunar province, which lies near the Afghan/ Pakistani border.
The violence coincided with fighting taking place in several other locations in the country, as Afghan and NATO troops were engaged in hostilities with the insurgents. One casualty occurred in Helmand province, when a bomb explosion fatally injured a US soldier.
Insurgent Deaths
Yesterday, the US military said that the previous 24 hours' fighting in Helmand had resulted in 40 deaths among the insurgents.
The International Security Assistance Force confirmed in a statement that the nine deaths occurred during fighting that lasted for several hours. In addition to the fatalities, 15 injuries occurred among ISAF forces, while four Afghan soldiers were also wounded, it said.
Afghan ISAF Force
The ISAF force operating in Afghanistan is, at present, made up of 53,000 military personnel representing 40 nations.
Weapons Used
The attack itself saw militant forces deploying machine guns, mortars and rockets against allied forces stationed at an isolated outpost in Kunar. In response, said the statement, the ISAF/Afghan troops used machine guns, small arms, artillery and mortars in the counter-attack.
Airborne Assets
Airborne assets were also called upon, with warplanes and Apache gunships entering the combat arena.
Civilian Losses
Local reports have indicated that, in addition to the military casualties, civilian losses may also have occurred.
Taliban in Afghanistan
According to NATO, the insurgents suffered heavily. While no information was provided on the precise source of the attacks, it is known that the Taliban have been increasingly active in this part of the world in recent times.
Source - Armed Forces International's Middle East Correspondent
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