Taliban Report US Casualties

On Tuesday, June 13, the Taliban rejected the puppet government's claim of killing 15 Taliban Mujahideen in Uruzgan province on June 12th, 2006 and said in fact that 24 foreign and collaborating troops were killed in the battle, contrary to mainstream news reports.

Taliban spokesman Qari Muhammad Yosuf speaking to Afghan Islamic Press said, “five Taliban Mujahideen were killed, not 15 in Seyachoi area of Deh Rawoud district of Uruzgan province yesterday." Yosuf added that twenty four Afghan and foreign troops, including a commander of US troops were also killed in the firefight and admitted that two Taliban were also wounded.

In other news, on June 13th the Taliban torched seven vehicles, some belonging to the British and others belonging to the so-called Afghan troops after an attack on their convoy in the Mazerabad area of the Mosa Qala district of Helmand province. Eighteen British solders and their collaborators were killed in the attack and one vehicle was also taken by Taliban as war booty.

The intense fighting lasted for two hours, an eyewitness told Afghan Islamic Press. He said, "I can see the flames are still rising from six military vehicles and the smokes are hovering over the area." The unidentified witness said the helicopters and other warplanes were flying over the area but that coalition aircraft did not drop any bombs. He said there were no details on casualties, only that the foreigners were British soldiers.

Earlier on Sunday night, June 11the, 2006, Taliban Mujahideen ambushed and reportedly killed 13 coalition and soldiers and their collaborators in the Seori area of the Manrogi district in Kunar province. Also on Sunday night, they fired three rockets on a coalition forces base in the Maidan area of Krongal district of the same Kunar province. There was no information on casualties.