Taliban Attack Kills at Least Five Troops

[NNN0LHI]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=516&ncid=716&e=4&u=/ap/20030824/ap_on_re_as/afghan_attack

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - Taliban fighters ambushed a truck full of government soldiers in the southern province of Zabul, killing several, the provincial governor and a Taliban spokesman said Sunday.

The sides gave differing death tolls from Saturday's attack. Mohammed Hanif, a Taliban spokesman who contacted The Associated Press by satellite telephone, said 12 government soldiers were killed and that no Taliban fighters had died. Gov. Hafizullah Khan said five soldiers and three Taliban were killed.

It was impossible to immediately confirm the number of dead.

Khan said the attack occurred in the Dai Chupan district of Zabul province.

"Our forces were going to Dai Chupan district when the Taliban ambushed them," Khan said in a satellite telephone interview from southern Kandahar.

Hanif said the bodies of the dead government soldiers were left behind, but Taliban attackers took 17 automatic rifles from the vehicle before leaving the scene.

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[Jacobin]

1. Afghanistan? What's an "Afghanistan"?

[expatriot]

2. I think they're those things my wife crochets.

[FlashHarry]

3. Was the headline updated?

Just curious, because if it's the one you posted, it's pretty misleading. Now it says '5 Afghans' were killed.