Taliban commander in Kandahar dead: NATO

NATO soldier killed in southern Afghanistan
Kabul (AFP) June 5, 2010 - A NATO soldier was killed in southern Afghanistan Friday, the alliance said, bringing to 229 the number of foreign soldiers killed in the country this year. The soldier, a member of the US-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), was killed by small arms fire, according to a NATO statement, which did not disclose any further details, in line with the alliance's policy. With 520 foreign soldiers killed, most of them Americans, 2009 was the deadliest year for US and NATO forces fighting the increasingly deadly insurgency waged by the Taliban since they were overthrown in late 2001. According to an AFP tally of 229, based on one kept by the independent icasualties.org website, 2010 will also exact a heavy toll on the foreign forces fighting to support President Hamid Karzai's government. Around two-thirds of this year's casualties -- 143, according to icasualties -- are Americans, who make up the bulk of the 130,000 foreign troops based in Afghanistan, with total deployment expected to reach 150,000.

by Staff Writers
Kabul (AFP) June 4, 2010
NATO said Friday that troops had killed the Taliban's top commander for Kandahar city during a gunbattle with insurgents armed with machine-guns and rocket-propelled grenades.

NATO identified him as Mullah Zergay, called him "the top Taliban commander for the Kandahar city area" and accused him of being responsible for multiple deaths in Kandahar, as well as directing attacks in nearby districts.

He was killed in Kandahar's Zhari district last week, NATO's International Security Assistance Force said.

"Zergay directed insurgent activities in the Arghandab and Zharay districts, including Kandahar City. He used explosives in nearly all of his operations and was directly responsible for multiple deaths in Kandahar city alone," it said.

He also led kidnappings and killings of government employees and village elders, the military said.

The statement said the rebel was killed during a firefight with troops who tried to capture him in his Zhari hideout. The troops tracked the rebel for "several weeks" before he was killed, it added.

The Taliban are trying to topple the Western-backed government of President Hamid Karzai. A three-day peace conference by tribal elders and religious leaders ended Friday by calling on the militants to lay down their arms.

The conference, called to advise Karzai on how to make peace with the Taliban, demanded the establishment of "powerful commission" to lead the talks with the militants.

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Direct attacks ebb, IEDs on rise in Afghan east: US general
Washington (AFP) June 3, 2010
Nine years into a grinding war, a "degraded" Taliban is conducting fewer direct assaults in eastern Afghanistan, turning instead to more roadside bombs and suicide attacks, the US commander there said Thursday. "We realize that Afghanistan and Regional Command East are at a critical moment," Major General Curtis Scaparrotti said, as the United States scrambles to boost Afghan Security Forces ... read more

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