(NSI News Source Info) HERAT, Afghanistan — June 11, 2009: Afghan security forces killed 16 militants, including a man who appeared to be an Arab commander, in fighting in southwestern Afghanistan, a deputy provincial governor said Thursday. 
Afghan soldiers in eastern Kunar province in June 10, 2009. Insurgents killed three NATO soldiers in Afghanistan while air strikes and combined Afghan forces operation thwarted a Taliban plan to storm a key southern town by killing 16 militants, authorities said yesterday.
The clashes Wednesday were in Farah province's Bala Buluk district, where US air strikes on militants struck compounds last month. Kabul says 140 civilians were killed; the US military says 20-30 died.
Afghan army and police started an operation in a village in the district after reports that Taliban were harassing people, including demanding money and food, Farah deputy governor Mohammad Younus Rasouli told AFP.
"A clash that continued for some hours killed 15 Taliban," he said. The Taliban proxy deputy governor for the province, named Mullah Nik Mohammad, was also killed in the fighting, Rasouli said.
The deputy governor said that among the corpses was an Arab citizen who had apparently commanded the group of militants and was teaching them to carry out remote-controlled bombings and suicide attacks.
There was no way to independently confirm the information.
Rasouli said nine Taliban were also wounded in the fighting as were two women and two children.
Bala Buluk has a strong presence of insurgents allied to the Taliban, an extremist militia that was in power in Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001, when they were removed in a US-led invasion.
Afghan and international military authorities have said there are an increasing number of foreign fighters in Afghanistan where about 90,000 international soldiers are battling the extremists.
Afghan soldiers in eastern Kunar province in June 10, 2009. Insurgents killed three NATO soldiers in Afghanistan while air strikes and combined Afghan forces operation thwarted a Taliban plan to storm a key southern town by killing 16 militants, authorities said yesterday.
The clashes Wednesday were in Farah province's Bala Buluk district, where US air strikes on militants struck compounds last month. Kabul says 140 civilians were killed; the US military says 20-30 died.
Afghan army and police started an operation in a village in the district after reports that Taliban were harassing people, including demanding money and food, Farah deputy governor Mohammad Younus Rasouli told AFP.
"A clash that continued for some hours killed 15 Taliban," he said. The Taliban proxy deputy governor for the province, named Mullah Nik Mohammad, was also killed in the fighting, Rasouli said.
The deputy governor said that among the corpses was an Arab citizen who had apparently commanded the group of militants and was teaching them to carry out remote-controlled bombings and suicide attacks.
There was no way to independently confirm the information.
Rasouli said nine Taliban were also wounded in the fighting as were two women and two children.
Bala Buluk has a strong presence of insurgents allied to the Taliban, an extremist militia that was in power in Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001, when they were removed in a US-led invasion.
Afghan and international military authorities have said there are an increasing number of foreign fighters in Afghanistan where about 90,000 international soldiers are battling the extremists.
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