Ten French soldiers killed in Taliban ambush in Afghanistan
20 Aug 2008, AFP
KABUL: Ten French NATO soldiers were killed in a Taliban ambush in Afghanistan, officials said on Tuesday, the deadliest ground attack on foreign troops here since the US-led war was launched in 2001.
The shock ambush also left 21 French troops wounded, and prompted French President Nicolas Sarkozy to announce he would immediately head to the country, where recent monthly death tolls for foreign forces have topped those for
News of the attack came as the resurgent Taliban attempted a mass suicide attack on a
"Yesterday 10 of our soldiers... were killed in
"In its struggle against terrorism,
The ambush took place in the district of Sarobi, just 50 kilometres (30 miles) east of
Around 100 insurgents attacked a patrol of French and Afghan troops, said NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), under which about 3,000 French soldiers serve.
The fighting began on Monday and lasted into Tuesday, it said in a statement.
"The initial patrol was reinforced with quick reaction forces, close air support and mobile medical teams. During the engagement a large number of insurgents were killed," ISAF said.
"There was fierce fighting throughout the night," said Afghan defence ministry spokesman General Mohammad Zahir Azimi, who said at least 13 Taliban fighters had been killed in the clashes.
The extremist Taliban said it had attacked ISAF troops in Sarobi and blown up several vehicles. "We have inflicted heavy casualties," Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahed said.
Before the latest fighting, only around a dozen French soldiers had lost their lives in various incidents in
US President George Bush offered his condolences, the White House said.
"The president was briefed on that this morning during his intelligence briefing, (and) sends his condolences to the loved ones of those lost, as well as those wounded," spokesman Gordon Johndroe said.
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Suicide bombers attack US base in
19 Aug 2008, AP
Six suicide bombers exploded their vests after being surrounded outside the base.
At least 13 insurgents died in the attack, officials said. The militants failed to gain entry to
The attack came one day after a suicide bomb outside the same base killed 10 civilians and wounded 13 others.
A
Soldiers on the ground, fighter aircraft and helicopters were chasing the retreating militants.
Gen. Mohammad Zahir Azimi, the Afghan Defense Ministry spokesman, said Afghan soldiers, aided by US troops, chased and surrounded a group of insurgents, and six militants in suicide vests blew themselves up when cornered. Seven other militants died in those explosions and a rolling gunbattle, he said.
"(The Afghan National Army) is saying that anytime we get close to them, they detonate themselves," Jamal said.
The Taliban appeared to confirm that account. Zabiullah Mujahid, a Taliban spokesman, said the militants dispatched 15 militants for the attack on
Jamal said the bodies of at least two dead militants were outside the checkpoint leading to the base's airport, both of whom had suicide vests on. It wasn't clear if those militants were among the dead in Azimi's count.
Two Afghan civilians also died in the fighting, Jamal said. Militants have long targeted US bases with suicide bombers, but coordinated attacks on such a major base are rare.
The attack came a day after the top U.S. general in the region, Maj. Gen. Jeffrey J. Schloesser, issued a rare public warning that militants planned to attack civilian, military and government targets during the celebration of Independence Day on Monday.
More than 3,400 people, mostly militants, have been killed in insurgency-related violence this year, according to figures based from Western and Afghan officials.
Source: The Times of India, New Delhi
URL: https://newageislam.com/war-terror/ten-french-soldiers-killed-taliban/d/602