Afghan Warrior

Afghan and US soldiers have killed 74 Taliban fighters in a new joint operation against the Taliban fighters in Mian Nisheen district of Kandahar province. It raised the Taliban casualty to 178 since Tuesday last week. Officials of the Afghan Defence Ministry confirmed the killing of the 74 Taliban. Defence Ministry spokesman General Zahir Azmimi told reporters 4 Afghan forces have also been killed. The operation which was conducted by US soldiers, Afghan National Army and national police on Tuesday evening in Mina Nisheen district was one of the biggest operations since the fall of the Taliban and most of the militant deaths occurred from US warplanes armed with laser-guided bombs and supported by British aircraft. He added that the operation ended successfuly. He said 6 of the ousted regime's top commanders have also been killed or arrested after a three-day battle in the south of the country. In total, 71 Taliban fighters have been arrested. According to a security official in Kandara, 4 Pakistani and one Arab national are also among the detainees. US and Afghan military officials claimed on Thursday that the Afghan National Army ringed four Taliban commanders, including Mullah Brader, the brother-in-law of fugitive Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar, in a mountain hideout. But the claim could not be independently confirmed. But on Saturday the Defence Ministry spokesman announced that the siege had been broken and Taliban commanders had escaped from the area. Taliban spokesman Mullah Abdul Latif Hakimi rejected the government claim over the Taliban's casualties and said only 9 Taliban including Mullah Isa had been killed. He said all other government claims were untrue. Independent media have not confirmed the casualties yet.